Blinken visits Ukraine to boost US support in Kiev’s fight against Russia’s advance

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Kiev on Tuesday on an unannounced diplomatic mission to reassure Ukraine that it has Washington’s support in its fight to defend itself from Russian attacks.

The visit comes less than a month after Congress approved a long-delayed foreign aid package that includes $60 billion for Ukraine, much of which will go to refurbishing depleted artillery and air defense systems. Will be spent in.

On his fourth visit to Kiev since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Blinken will outline the commitment of President Joe Biden’s government to the long-term defense and security of the country, according to US officials, who signed the initiative last month. This matter was highlighted since. The White House has already announced $1.4 billion in short-term military assistance and $6 billion in long-term assistance.

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said he is “really trying to speed up” US arms shipments to Ukraine.

Artillery, air defense interceptors and long-range ballistic missiles have already been delivered – and some of these elements are already on the front lines – said a senior US official who accompanied Blinken on the overnight train from Poland. Were travelling.

Blinken will “send a strong signal of peace” to Ukrainian leaders and civil society figures he will meet during his two-day visit, said the official, who spoke to the press on condition of anonymity ahead of those meetings.

In a statement published after Blinken’s arrival in the Ukrainian capital, the State Department indicated it would meet with the president, Volodymyr Zelensky and other senior officials to address “developments on the battlefield, the impact of the new assistance” on U.S. security and economic policy. Will meet the officials. , long-term security and other commitments, and ongoing work to advance Ukraine’s economic recovery.

The delay in the arrival of US aid, especially since the beginning of Israel’s war against Hamas, worried senior government officials and caused deep concern in Kiev and Europe. Blinken, for example, has visited the Middle East seven times since the Gaza conflict began in October. His last visit to Kiev was in September.

According to the official, Blinken will later give a speech praising Ukraine’s “strategic successes” in the war. He intends to follow up on an offer he made last year in Helsinki, Finland, in which he criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for Moscow’s strategic failures at the start of the invasion.

But since those words, Russia has stepped up its attacks, especially as Washington’s aid package remained blocked for months, blocking most U.S. aid. The attacks have escalated in recent weeks, with the Kremlin seeking to take advantage of Kiev’s shortage of troops and weapons as new batches arrive.

Senior Biden administration officials and Ukrainian security officials spoke by phone on Monday “about the situation on the front lines, about the capabilities they need most and about a real triage effort to say where ‘Get it to us quickly so we can be in a position to work effectively.’ “Defend yourself against Russian attack,” Sullivan said.

Over the weekend, Zelensky claimed “fierce fighting” was being fought near the border in the east and north-east of the country, as outnumbered and outnumbered Ukrainian troops tried to push back a major Russian ground offensive. Was.

The new Russian operation on the area northeast of Kharkiv and its advance into Donetsk province in the east, follows months in which hardly any changes were recorded along the nearly 1,000 kilometers (620 mi) front. During this time, both sides have resorted to long-range attacks in a new flare-up of the conflict.

The US official said that despite some recent setbacks, Ukraine has still been able to claim significant victories, including reclaiming about 50% of the territory captured by Russian troops in the early months of the conflict and improving its economic status and assets. and improving transportation and commercial relations, especially thanks to its military successes in the Black Sea.

On the other hand, the official acknowledged that Kiev faces an “uphill battle” and is “under immense pressure”, but alleged that Ukrainians are “more and more desperate” due to increased aid from the United States and other Western countries. Will be assured”. Nation’s.

,

An Associated Press writer in Washington contributed to this report.