Blinken makes unexpected visit to Kiev amid Russian offensive
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The US State Department's spokesperson says Blinken will highlight ongoing US support to Kiev and discuss battlefield developments with Ukraine's top officials.
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken walks to board a Ukrainian Railways train at Przemysl Glowny train station in Poland while traveling to Kiev, on May 13, 2024. (AFP)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced visit to Ukraine on Tuesday and will hold a series of meetings with the country's top officials, including President Volodymyr Zelensky and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
The trip comes as Russian forces continue to advance in Kharkov after launching an unexpected offensive across several regions last week.
Russia's Defense Ministry announced last weekend that Russian armed forces managed to take control of another four villages across the Kharkov region. The areas were captured within 24 hours, the ministry said.
It stated that Ukrainian forces suffered major losses, both in manpower and military equipment.
"Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken arrived in Ukraine today to meet with senior Ukrainian officials and highlight the United States’ enduring support for Ukraine. While in Ukraine, Secretary Blinken will meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to discuss battlefield updates, the impact of new U.S. security and economic assistance," US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement.
Not time for negotiations
Earlier this month, the United States passed a bill to allocate around $60 billion in funding to Kiev.
Shortly after, with Russia making significant ground advances, Zelensky published a post on X urging Western allies to expedite aid supplies.
Former Under Secretary for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland told Politico on Sunday that Ukraine lacks the necessary strength to engage in negotiations with Russia to resolve the ongoing armed conflict.
When questioned about whether it was a mistake not to encourage Kiev to pursue peace talks with Russia in 2022, she answered, "They were not in a strong enough position then. They’re not in a strong enough position now."
Any potential agreement in 2022 or presently would hinge on Russia's reluctance to relinquish any of the territories it acquired, she said, noting that such a deal would ultimately prove unsustainable.
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