NEW DELHI: US secretary of state Antony Blinken made an unannounced visit to Kyiv on Tuesday to reassure Ukraine of American support as it struggles to defend against increasingly intense Russian attacks, his visit comes less than a month after Congress approved a long-delayed foreign aid package.
Congress approved a $60 billion aid package for Ukraine, much of which will be used to replenish depleted artillery and air defense systems.
According to US officials, During his fourth trip to Kyiv since the Russian invasion in February 2022, Blinken will emphasize the Biden administration’s dedication to Ukraine’s defense and enduring security.
They added that following President Joe Biden’s recent approval of the aid package, the administration has already has already announced $1.4 billion in short-term military assistance and $6 billion in longer-term support.
Addressing a White House briefing on Monday, National security adviser, Jake Sullivan said that the US It is “trying to really accelerate the tempo” of US weapon shipments to Ukraine.
“What I am going to suggest is that the level of intensity being exhibited right now in terms of moving stuff is at a 10 out of 10,” Sullivan told the reporters.
According to a senior US official traveling with Blinken on an overnight train from Poland, Artillery, air defense interceptors, and long-range ballistic missiles already delivered to the front lines.
The secretary will “send a strong signal of reassurance” to Ukrainian leaders and civil society figures during his two-day visit, the official added ahead of Blinken’s meetings.
Delays in US assistance, particularly due to the administration’s focus on Israel’s war with Hamas, had raised concerns in Kyiv and Europe. Blinken’s last trip to Kyiv was in September, while he has visited the Middle East seven times since the Gaza conflict began in October.
The official also said that Blinken is expected to deliver a speech praising Ukraine’s “strategic successes” in the war, complementing his address last year in Helsinki, Finland, which criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for Moscow’s strategic failures in launching the war.
The Russian attacks on Ukraine have escalated since the Helsinki speech, particularly during the period when the US House delayed the aid package for months, causing a halt in most US assistance. The attacks have further intensified in recent weeks as Russia aims to exploit the shortages in Ukrainian manpower and weapons while the new aid is being delivered.
In a call held a call Monday, top officials from the Biden administration and Ukrainian national security discussed “about the situation on the front, about the capabilities that they are most in need of, and a real triage effort to say, ‘Get us this stuff this fast so that we can be in a position to effectively defend against the Russian onslaught,” Sullivan said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said over the weekend that “fierce battles” are occurring near the border in eastern and northeastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian soldiers, despite being outgunned and outnumbered, are attempting to repel a significant Russian ground offensive.
According to Ukrainian commanders and analysts, the Kremlin’s forces are seeking to take advantage of Ukrainian weaknesses before a substantial amount of new military aid from the US and European partners arrives on the battlefield in the coming weeks and months. They say that this period presents a window of opportunity for Moscow and is one of the most dangerous for Kyiv in the two-year war.
The recent Russian offensive in the northeastern Kharkiv region and incursion into the eastern Donetsk region mark a shift after months of minimal movement along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line. During this time, both sides have resorted to long-range strikes, turning the conflict largely into a war of attrition.
The senior US official said that despite some recent setbacks, Ukraine could still achieve significant victories, such as reclaiming 50% of the territory Russian forces captured in the early months of the war, improving its economic standing, and enhancing transportation and trade links, particularly through military successes in the Black Sea.
The official acknowledged that Ukraine is facing “a tough fight” and is “under tremendous pressure” but argued that Ukrainians “will become increasingly more confident” as the new US and other Western assistance begins to surge.
Blinken said on Sunday that there was “no doubt” the months long delay in aid caused problems but that “we are doing everything we can to rush this assistance out there.”
He told CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
“It’s a challenging moment. We are not going anywhere, and neither are more than some 50 countries that are supporting Ukraine. That will continue, and if Putin thinks he can outlast Ukraine, outlast its supporters, he’s wrong,” Blinken added.
Congress approved a $60 billion aid package for Ukraine, much of which will be used to replenish depleted artillery and air defense systems.
According to US officials, During his fourth trip to Kyiv since the Russian invasion in February 2022, Blinken will emphasize the Biden administration’s dedication to Ukraine’s defense and enduring security.
They added that following President Joe Biden’s recent approval of the aid package, the administration has already has already announced $1.4 billion in short-term military assistance and $6 billion in longer-term support.
Addressing a White House briefing on Monday, National security adviser, Jake Sullivan said that the US It is “trying to really accelerate the tempo” of US weapon shipments to Ukraine.
“What I am going to suggest is that the level of intensity being exhibited right now in terms of moving stuff is at a 10 out of 10,” Sullivan told the reporters.
According to a senior US official traveling with Blinken on an overnight train from Poland, Artillery, air defense interceptors, and long-range ballistic missiles already delivered to the front lines.
The secretary will “send a strong signal of reassurance” to Ukrainian leaders and civil society figures during his two-day visit, the official added ahead of Blinken’s meetings.
Delays in US assistance, particularly due to the administration’s focus on Israel’s war with Hamas, had raised concerns in Kyiv and Europe. Blinken’s last trip to Kyiv was in September, while he has visited the Middle East seven times since the Gaza conflict began in October.
The official also said that Blinken is expected to deliver a speech praising Ukraine’s “strategic successes” in the war, complementing his address last year in Helsinki, Finland, which criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for Moscow’s strategic failures in launching the war.
The Russian attacks on Ukraine have escalated since the Helsinki speech, particularly during the period when the US House delayed the aid package for months, causing a halt in most US assistance. The attacks have further intensified in recent weeks as Russia aims to exploit the shortages in Ukrainian manpower and weapons while the new aid is being delivered.
In a call held a call Monday, top officials from the Biden administration and Ukrainian national security discussed “about the situation on the front, about the capabilities that they are most in need of, and a real triage effort to say, ‘Get us this stuff this fast so that we can be in a position to effectively defend against the Russian onslaught,” Sullivan said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said over the weekend that “fierce battles” are occurring near the border in eastern and northeastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian soldiers, despite being outgunned and outnumbered, are attempting to repel a significant Russian ground offensive.
According to Ukrainian commanders and analysts, the Kremlin’s forces are seeking to take advantage of Ukrainian weaknesses before a substantial amount of new military aid from the US and European partners arrives on the battlefield in the coming weeks and months. They say that this period presents a window of opportunity for Moscow and is one of the most dangerous for Kyiv in the two-year war.
The recent Russian offensive in the northeastern Kharkiv region and incursion into the eastern Donetsk region mark a shift after months of minimal movement along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line. During this time, both sides have resorted to long-range strikes, turning the conflict largely into a war of attrition.
The senior US official said that despite some recent setbacks, Ukraine could still achieve significant victories, such as reclaiming 50% of the territory Russian forces captured in the early months of the war, improving its economic standing, and enhancing transportation and trade links, particularly through military successes in the Black Sea.
The official acknowledged that Ukraine is facing “a tough fight” and is “under tremendous pressure” but argued that Ukrainians “will become increasingly more confident” as the new US and other Western assistance begins to surge.
Blinken said on Sunday that there was “no doubt” the months long delay in aid caused problems but that “we are doing everything we can to rush this assistance out there.”
He told CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
“It’s a challenging moment. We are not going anywhere, and neither are more than some 50 countries that are supporting Ukraine. That will continue, and if Putin thinks he can outlast Ukraine, outlast its supporters, he’s wrong,” Blinken added.