New York [US], November 2 : The United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken dressed his four-year-old son as Ukrainian President Volodymyrr Zelenskyy for a Halloween party at the White House, New York Post reported.
Blinken's three-year-old daughter was dressed in the Ukraine flag's blue and yellow colours.
For the Halloween event at the White House lawn that took place on Monday night, Blinken was accompanied by his wife, Evan Ryan, who is also Biden's White House cabinet secretary.
US President Joe Biden himself donned a baseball cap bearing the presidential seal and dressed as himself.
{{{{twitter_post_id####}}}}Halloween: Anthony Blinken dressed his son in a Zelensky costume, and his daughter wore a Ukrainian flag outfit.
Thank you 🇺🇸 for supporting 🇺🇦
P.S. I used to love this day and to be able to wear some cool costume and have some nice time with friends. Cannot do it now, but I… pic.twitter.com/MEOHFX4DO9
— Maria Drutska 🇺🇦 (@maria_drutska) October 31, 2023
One of the decorations hanging from the White House balcony was a big picture of the first dog, Commander, who had reportedly bitten Secret Service agents and seriously injured them, the New York Post reported.
Blinken's son who was dressed as the Ukrainian President, and wore a dark green sweatshirt, was given a box of M&Ms bearing the presidential seal.
Notably, the secretary of state amid congressional debate over the most recent spending request for Ukraine, showcased unwavering support for the war-torn country. Fiscal conservatives are opposing the request, pointing out that the US government had a USD1.7 trillion budget deficit in the fiscal year 2023, which concluded on September 30, according to the New York Post.
The US State Secretary's grandfather, Moritz Blinken, was born in Ukraine's capital, then part of the Russian empire, in 1900 and immigrated to the US along with his family when he was 4 years old. It explains that Blinken's ancestors were like Zelenskyy's- Ukrainian Jews, the New York Post reported.
In a recent request, the US House Speaker Mike Johnson has urged President Joe Biden to split his USD 100 billion supplemental budget request into aid for both Ukraine and Israel, expressing concerns about Republican support for a Ukraine package.
The new Republican Speaker Johnson explained his position during an interview with Fox News's Sean Hannity on Thursday, stating, "I told the staff at the White House today that our consensus among House Republicans is that we need to bifurcate those issues."
President Biden's budget request includes USD 14 billion to support Israel's efforts against Hamas in Gaza and USD 61 billion for Ukraine's defence against Russia, along with funding for US border security and support for Taiwan.
While Ukraine funding has become a contentious issue among House Republicans, Johnson affirmed his support for Ukraine's defence against Russia.
However, he emphasised the importance of fiscal responsibility, saying, "Now, we can't allow Vladimir Putin to prevail in Ukraine, because I don't believe it would stop there, and it would probably encourage and empower China to perhaps make a move on Taiwan. We have these concerns."
"We're not going to abandon them. But we have a responsibility, a stewardship responsibility, over the precious treasure of the American people," he continued, adding, "And we have to make sure that the White House is providing the people with some accountability for the dollars.
He also condemned the Biden administration's plan for the Ukraine war effort, saying the White House has not provided what the "endgame" is for continued support, as reported by The Hill.
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