The American Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Kiev this Wednesday (6) for a surprise visit during which he is expected to announce one billion dollars (4.96 billion reais) of additional aid to Ukraine.
The State Department announced Blinken’s arrival and reported that he was received in Kiev by American Ambassador Bridget Brink.
An official from Blinken’s team said during the flight that the diplomatic chief hoped to “announce another billion dollars in new American funding for Ukraine during the visit.”
This is Blinken’s fourth visit to Ukraine since the Russian invasion began in February 2022.
The foreign minister is expected to address Ukraine’s needs, particularly military assistance, during meetings with President Volodymyr Zelensky, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Defense Minister Dmitro Kuleba.
Washington intends to continue its “efforts” so that the Ukrainians “have what they need for this phase of the fight,” said the State Department source, who requested anonymity.
In June, Kiev launched a counteroffensive in the south and east of the country, where Russian troops occupy almost 20% of Ukrainian territory.
“This is crucial not only to attack, but also to actually penetrate the hard defenses put in place by the Russians,” the source said.
“Air defense remains a priority,” he added.
“The Ukrainian armed forces have made impressive progress in the last few days and weeks, especially in the south, but also in the east. But I think the most important thing is that we get a real assessment from the Ukrainians themselves,” the State Department source summarized.