The nation’s top diplomat made an unannounced visit to Kyiv in an apparent effort to reassure Ukraine’s president and its military that U.S. support is on its way.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his defense staff on Tuesday, as well as a group of Ukrainian student, when the secretary said that U.S. aid recently signed into law by President Joe Biden will make “real difference” for Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines of a now two-year-old war.
“The coming weeks and months will demand a great deal of Ukrainians, who have already sacrificed so much. I’ve come to Ukraine with a message: You are not alone,” Blinken told students at the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.
Zenenskyy and his government have spent the last 27 months desperately trying to defend Ukrainian territory in the face of a seemingly relentless Russian military invasion, and the Ukrainian leader thanked the Biden Administration and Congress for approving a much-delayed $61 billion aid package in the latter half of April, but called on the U.S. for more specific support in their defense against a renewed spring offense in the country’s east.
“Today, I hosted @SecBlinken for a detailed discussion of the battlefield situation, support for our soldiers, and ongoing defense cooperation. We discussed the need for Patriot systems in Ukraine to protect our cities and communities, such as Kharkiv and the surrounding region. Two Patriots for the Kharkiv region could significantly contribute to the protection of lives from Russian terror,” Zelenskyy said via the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
Today, I hosted @SecBlinken for a detailed discussion of the battlefield situation, support for our soldiers, and ongoing defense cooperation.
We discussed the need for Patriot systems in Ukraine to protect our cities and communities, such as Kharkiv and the surrounding region.… pic.twitter.com/xXMRoHnJvU
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 14, 2024
Ukraine has been defending itself from Russian aggression for nearly a decade now, following Vladimir Putin’s unlawful annexation of Crimea in 2014. The conflict in Ukraine continued in a pair of separatist regions in the years that followed the theft of Crimea, but exploded into full blown military conflict in February of 2022.
Russia’s military aggression has displaced over 10 million Ukrainian civilians, or about 25% of the Ukrainian population, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency. Almost 15 million Ukrainians are in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the U.N.
Russian forces have spent the last couple of weeks making a concerted push into the northeastern region of Krarkiv, forcing thousands more to flee their homes. Putin’s troops are also pushing further into Ukraine in the nation’s east, in Donetsk, with at least 24 attempted assaults on the city of Pokrovsk reported by Ukrainian military staff on just on Tuesday.
Despite this renewed aggression, Blinken used his fourth visit to the region since the war started to assure our Ukrainian allies that time is not on Putin’s side.
“The United States is determined, determined to help Ukraine succeed, succeed both in the battlefield victory but also succeed, as we would say, in winning the peace and building the strongest possible Ukraine,” Blinken said.
Pentagon Spokesperson Jeff Jurgensen told the Herald that the transfer of equipment to Ukraine can begin within hours of an announced use of the Presidential Drawdown Authority. Since the war began, according to information shared by Jurgensen, the DoD has made 57 equipment transfers to Ukraine. The most recent, on May 10, included $400 million in munitions and supplies.
A Department of Defense spokesperson told the Herald that they were “able to deliver substantial quantities of key capabilities – some of which were pre-positioned pending the passage of the supplemental – within days of announcing” April’s aid package.
“This included a significant volume of urgently needed artillery rounds and anti-armor weapons that have proven so vital to Ukraine’s ability to repel Russian aggression. We will continue to deliver as quickly as possible the critical capabilities Ukraine needs to push back against Russia’s continued aggression, including the additional air defense, artillery, and anti-tank capabilities,” they said.
