Antony Blinken is in Kiev on a surprise visit
US secretary of state Antony Blinken visited Kyiv in a show of support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government amid renewed Russian advances in the north-eastern Kharkiv region, Financial Times reports.
Speaking during a meeting with Zelenskyy, Blinken said more US assistance was on its way and some of it had already arrived. He is the first senior US official to visit Ukraine since Congress approved a $61bn military aid package last month.
“That’s going to make a real difference against the ongoing Russian aggression on the battlefield,” said Blinken.
Zelenskyy described US aid as crucial to Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against Russia. He told Blinken that Ukraine needs two US-made Patriot missile systems for the north-eastern Kharkiv region.
The visit follows an advance by Russia north of the city of Kharkiv, where troops opened a new front on Friday and have since seized control of about 110 sq km of territory. Ukrainian officials have also warned of a possible Russian cross-border offensive in the Sumy or Chernihiv regions in the north of the country.
Russia occupied two villages and part of the town of Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region on Monday, according to the Ukrainian open-source group Deepstate. However, it does not appear to have broken through Ukraine’s defensive lines.
The advance will put Kharkiv city once again within artillery range of Russian forces.
