US will Kyiv what it needs to succeed in its counter-offensive against Russian forces US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has pledged during a surprise visit to Ukraine’s capital – the first trip there by a top US official since Kyiv initiated the counter-offensive.
Blinken is expected to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, other senior officials, and civil society figures, a senior State Department official said.
His trip aims to assess Ukraine’s three-month counter-offensive amid concern from some Western allies about the speed of progress and signal US support for Kyiv’s efforts to drive out Kremlin forces after 19 months of war.
“We want to make sure that Ukraine has what it needs, not only to succeed in the counter-offensive but has what it needs for the long-term, to make sure that it has a strong deterrent,” he said during the visit.
Blinken’s visit is expected to include the announcement of new military aid of between $175 million to $200 million. Another larger military assistance package is expected later this week.
Other issues, including support for Ukraine’s war-torn economy, will be discussed, building on Mr Blinken’s June announcement in London of $1.3 billion in aid to help rebuild Kyiv, with a focus on modernizing its energy network that was bombarded by Russia last winter.
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