US Secretary of State Antony Blinken
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Kyiv, marking the first visit by a top US official since Congress approved a long-awaited $61 billion military aid package for Ukraine last month.
The unexpected travel on Tuesday attempts to demonstrate US sympathy with Ukraine, which is under severe Russian bombing on its northeastern border.
Blinken, who arrived in Kyiv by rail early Tuesday, aims to “send a strong signal of reassurance to the Ukrainians who are obviously in a very difficult moment,” according to a US source who briefed reporters traveling with him on the condition of anonymity.
“The Secretary’s mission here is really to talk about how our supplemental assistance is going to be executed in a fashion to help shore up their defenses (and) enable them to increasingly take back the initiative on the battlefield,” the official said.
Artillery, long-range missiles known as ATACMS, and air defense interceptors approved by President Joe Biden on April 24 have already reached Ukrainian forces, according to the official.
Blinken will reassure Ukrainian authorities, notably President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, of the US’s continued support and deliver a speech about Ukraine’s future, according to the official.
Kyiv has been on the back foot on the battlefield for months as Russian troops have quietly pushed, primarily in the Donetsk region to the south, taking advantage of Ukraine’s personnel and artillery shortages. Russia’s soldiers have a considerable advantage in men and ammunition.
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