European leaders gather, but Trump's team skips Ukraine Independence Day

[Financial News] As Ukraine marked its Independence Day, leaders from major European countries visited Kyiv or sent congratulatory messages. However, no senior U.S. official appeared, even though the United States leads the Western camp.
On Aug. 25 local time, NBC reported that European leaders, including Andy Burnham, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, attended an event held in Kyiv on Aug. 24 to celebrate Ukraine's 35th anniversary of independence, but current senior officials from the U.S. government did not show up.
After taking office last month, Burnham made Ukraine his first overseas destination and co-chaired a summit of the Coalition of the Willing. The group brings together about 40 Western countries to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine after the war.
António Costa, President of the European Council, also traveled to Kyiv in person. Emmanuel Macron, President of France, and Friedrich Merz, Chancellor of Germany, who co-chaired the summit, joined the meeting virtually from their respective countries.
On the U.S. side, Republican Senator James Lankford, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, Mike Pence, the former vice president under the first Trump administration, and Keith Kellogg, the former U.S. special envoy for Ukraine, visited the country.
However, senior U.S. government officials did not appear at the Ukraine Independence Day event. Only Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement congratulating Ukraine on its Independence Day.
The State Department and The White House did not respond to requests for comment on why senior U.S. officials did not attend the Ukraine Independence Day event.
Although the United States is drawing a line around the war in Ukraine, European countries reaffirmed their support for Ukraine.
Burnham said, "We must do everything we can," adding, "We need to mobilize all of our air defense stockpiles to protect Ukraine."
Costa also pledged support, saying, "The EU is accelerating the implementation of loans to support Ukraine's air defenses and energy infrastructure," and "We will support Ukraine for as long as necessary."
[email protected] Hong Chaewan Reporter