Secretary of State Antony Blinken returned to Ukraine for the first time since September as Ukrainian troops defend against a major Russian invasion.
Blinken said during a speech in Kyiv that Russia was “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.”
“The coming weeks and months will demand a great deal of Ukrainians, who have already sacrificed so much,” he said. “But I have come to Ukraine with a message: You are not alone.”
Blinken met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other top officials in Kyiv as Russia’s offensive in the northeastern Kharkiv region intensifies.
Zelensky said in a Tuesday evening video address that it was crucial for the U.S. and other partners to provide more air defenses to Ukraine and to “expedite” the training and delivery of F-16 fighter jets.
“We know what capabilities our partners have,” Zelensky said. “Clear political decisions are needed. “
In Kharkiv, Russia is pressuring Ukraine and creating one of the most significant challenges for Kyiv since the beginning of the war.
Russian forces have taken several villages in the region since launching the offensive last Friday and are fighting to take control of the town of Vovchansk northeast of Kharkiv city, Ukraine’s second largest city.
The new Russian offensive has sparked more calls for the U.S. to lift a policy that prevents American-provided weapons from striking Russian regions, including Belgorod near Kharkiv.
Ukrainian member of parliament David Arakhamia led a delegation to Washington this week to push the Biden administration to reverse the policy.
“This is not working,” he said at a media roundtable event. “Nobody understands how you can fight on one hand and not fight on the other.”
In Kyiv, Blinken said the arrival of more than a billion dollars worth of U.S. equipment announced in previous weeks would help stabilize the front.
“Some of it’s already arrived, more that will be arriving,” he said, “and that’s going to make a real difference against the ongoing Russian aggression on the battlefield.”
@The HILL