Blinken makes unannounced visit to Kyiv hours after Russian missile strike
Conrad Hoyt
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Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Kyiv early Wednesday morning Washington time mere hours after Russia launched a missile strike on the Ukrainian capital.
Blinken’s visit is meant to reiterate the United States’s support for its Eastern European ally as well as give America’s top diplomat a chance to assess the country’s counteroffensive against Russian forces as a breakthrough might be coming after months of stalled progress.
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Blinken plans to stay overnight in Kyiv, officials said, and his action is meant to show America’s support for Ukraine as the 18-month-old war continues with no end in sight. A senior State Department official emphasized to reporters the importance of the U.S. being “well-aligned” with Ukraine on how the latter’s forces will operate as the counteroffensive carries on, per the Associated Press.
The secretary of state’s visit comes at a critical time as allies of Ukraine have voiced their pessimism over the country’s chances of expelling Russia from its land, at the same time that U.S. lawmakers and 2024 presidential hopefuls have shared their discontent with the amount of aid Washington has sent Kyiv.
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Just as it has been for months, air defense will be prioritized in Blinken’s meetings with Ukrainian military leaders. However, the highly-touted F-16s that the U.S. signed off on being sent to Ukraine are not expected to be operational in the war until 2024.
Blinken’s visit comes as Russia is reportedly negotiating with North Korea for weapons.