Blinken in Meeting with Zelensky: U.S. Military Aid is on the Way

The U.S. Secretary of State, who visited Kyiv to express solidarity with Ukraine amid escalating Russian attacks, told Volodymyr Zelensky that U.S. military aid for the country is "on the way." Antony Blinken, on Tuesday, May 15, assured the Ukrainian President that the arrival of a new package of U.S. military assistance for the Ukrainian army would "make a real difference" on the battlefield. Mr. Zelensky thanked the U.S. Secretary of State for the aid that was approved last month under pressure from the Biden administration in Congress, emphasizing that receiving this aid as soon as possible is "very important." However, according to Ukrainian news websites, Volodymyr Zelensky stressed the need to further equip his country with air defense, stating that the army needs two Patriot air defense systems to defend the city of Kharkiv and Kharkiv province. Mr. Blinken's visit coincided with increased military pressure from the Russian army against Ukraine's border areas: Russia's advance around Ukraine's second-largest city forced Kyiv to increase electricity imports. Since last Friday, Russia has launched heavy attacks on border towns in Kharkiv province, capturing at least five towns on the first day of this operation. Zelensky confirmed that Russian military pressure from the Donetsk region has also intensified in recent days. He told Antony Blinken that all civilians are worried about being targeted by Russian attacks. Kharkiv is Ukraine's second-largest city. Local officials have stated that there is currently no danger to the city, but Russian advances from the province's border continue. The Ukrainian President also told the U.S. Secretary of State that his country's defenders are experiencing a "difficult period" in the eastern regions. The Russian attacks, which had been anticipated in mid-spring, began at a time when the Ukrainian army had recently been forced to retreat repeatedly in some battlefields. The reasons for Russia's steady but gradual advances include having a larger number of military personnel and more ammunition and equipment. Jake Sullivan, the White House National Security Advisor, stated on Monday that Washington is working to expedite the delivery of newly approved U.S. military packages to Ukraine to help Kyiv make up for some of its setbacks. After 25 months of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Russian forces now occupy 18% of Ukrainian territory. At the same time, it was announced that Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, will travel to China for a two-day visit this Thursday to meet with his counterpart in Beijing. Ukraine and its Western allies are suspicious that, in addition to military aid received from Iran and North Korea since the beginning of the invasion, Moscow is also struggling to obtain weaponry from China.