US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Ukraine on Tuesday as part of an unannounced diplomatic mission to reassure the country in the context of war with Russia.
After arriving in kyiv, Blinken is expected to meet with senior Ukrainian officials and “underscore the United States' enduring support for Ukraine,” the U.S. State Department said. In the Ukrainian capital, he will also highlight the Biden administration's commitment to Ukraine's defense and assure Ukraine that it has U.S. support in the face of increasingly intense Russian attacks.
In a statement released after Blinken's arrival, the State Department said he would meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to “discuss updates on the battlefield, the impact of new American aid in terms of security and the economy, long-term security. and other commitments, as well as ongoing work to support Ukraine's economic recovery.
“It will underscore America’s commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and democracy in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression,” the statement added.
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken boarded a plane at Andrews Air Force Base on Monday before heading to Poland and then Ukraine for an unannounced visit on Tuesday. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/PISCINE/AFP via Getty Images)
Blinken's visit comes less than a month after Congress approved a long-delayed foreign aid package that includes $60 billion in aid to Ukraine. Most of the aid will be aimed at replenishing seriously depleted artillery and air defense systems.
Tuesday marks Blinken's fourth trip to kyiv since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Despite his frequency in the region, kyiv and Moscow are no closer to ending their fighting.
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On Monday, Blinken made his fourth trip to Kyiv since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. (Brendan Smialowski/Pool Photo via AP)
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is greeted by U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget A. Brink at kyiv-Pasazhyrskyi train station May 14, 2024, in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Brendan Smialowski/Pool Photo via AP)
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The unannounced visit comes after a White House briefing Monday, during which national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the new aid package was “trying to really accelerate the pace” of U.S. arms shipments to Ukraine.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled aboard a Ukrainian Railways train to Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, May 13, 2024. (Brendan Smialowski/Pool Photo via AP)
“What I'm going to suggest is that the level of intensity currently displayed in terms of moving things is 10 out of 10,” Sullivan told reporters.
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President Biden signed the aid package late last month, and the administration has already announced $1.4 billion in short-term military assistance and $6 billion in long-term support.
Blinken's last trip to kyiv was in September.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.