Blinken, in Kyiv, vows unwavering US support as Russian attacks intensify

KYIV — The U.S. will stand by Ukraine until its security sovereignty is guaranteed, Secretary of State Antony Blinken pledged on Tuesday in a visit to Kyiv, at a time when Russia is mounting fresh attacks in the country’s east.

The top U.S. diplomat is the first senior U.S. official to travel to Ukraine after U.S. Congress passed last month a $61 billion military aid package following a delay of several months during which Russia gained advantage on the battlefield.

In a policy speech at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, Blinken acknowledged the delay of U.S. weapons made Ukraine more vulnerable to Russia’s attacks but said Kyiv can count on Washington’s unwavering support because the American people understood that Russia will not stop in Ukraine.

“Putin is ramping up yet another offensive against Ukraine in Kharkiv and across the east, sending wave after wave of Russian soldiers, Iranian drones, North Korean artillery, and tanks, missiles and fighter jets built with machines and parts supplied by China,” Blinken said.

“We are with you today. And we will stay by your side until Ukraine’s security, sovereignty, its ability to choose its own path is guaranteed,” he said.

Blinken arrived in Kyiv by train early on Tuesday morning on the previously undisclosed visit, which comes days after Russia launched a ground incursion into the north of the region of Kharkiv, opening a new front and stretching Ukraine’s soldiers.

In his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Blinken tried to reassure him that following the delays, U.S. aid would now be flowing in a steady way.

“We know this is a challenging time. But we also know that in the near term the assistance is now on the way, some of it has already arrived and more of it will be arriving,” he said in remarks with Zelenskiy.

“And that’s going to make a real difference against the ongoing Russian aggression on the battlefield.”

Russia now controls about 18% of Ukraine and has been gaining ground since the failure of Kyiv’s 2023 counter-offensive to make serious inroads against Russian troops dug in behind deep minefields.