Blinken reaffirms US support of Ukraine in Kyiv visit
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken promised Ukraine the unconditional support of the United States during his Tuesday visit to Kyiv.
'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,' Blinken said, according to Reuters.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the U.S. for what he called a 'crucial package' of aid, as he hosted talks with Blinken.
Congress approved and U.S. President Joe Biden signed last month a $61 billion aid package to Ukraine.
Military aid from Washington is 'going to make a real difference against the ongoing Russian aggression on the battlefield,' Blinken told Zelenskyy.
Blinken delivers 'message of assurance'
Blinken arrived in the country hours earlier on an unannounced trip to deliver what U.S. officials called a 'strong message of reassurance' at a time when Ukrainian forces are facing significant attacks by Russia's military in eastern Ukraine and are awaiting the arrival of new weapons shipments from allies to help with defense.
'I returned to Kyiv today to demonstrate our unwavering support for Ukraine as they defend their freedom against Russian aggression,' Blinken said on the social media site X.
Zelenskyy told Blinken his visit comes during a 'tough period for the east of our country.'
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, greets U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken prior to their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, May 14, 2024.
During the past week, Russia has intensified its attacks on the Kharkiv region in northeastern Ukraine.
Zelenskyy said the two would discuss getting the new U.S. aid to Ukraine as quickly as possible, as well as bolstering Ukraine's air defenses, including the hope that Ukraine could secure Patriot missile systems to help protect Kharkiv.
Blinken said the United States, along with other Ukrainian partners, are determined to make sure Ukraine has what it needs to be successful in fighting the Russian invasion.
'We know this is a challenging time, but we also know that in the near-term the assistance is now on the way,' Blinken said. 'Some of it has already arrived, more of it will be arriving, and that's going to make a real difference against the ongoing Russian aggression on the battlefield.'
Blinken also met with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and told him the U.S. intends to help Ukraine rebuild after the war. Blinken had lunch with Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba at a pizza restaurant founded by Ukrainian veterans.
On Friday, the United States announced its latest contribution to Ukraine's war effort: A $400 million package of weapons and equipment.
'We're doing everything humanly possible, both ourselves and our allies,' White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters, adding that a new arms package would be announced 'just in the coming days.'
Russia's defense ministry said it destroyed 25 Ukrainian missiles over the Belgorod region, located on the Russian side of the border from Kharkiv.
Vyacheslav Gladkov, the regional governor of Belgorod, said Tuesday on Telegram that the attack injured one person and damaged more than 20 houses.
Ukraine's air force reported Tuesday destroying all 18 Russian drones launched in overnight attacks, with intercepts taking place over Cherkasy, Donetsk, Kherson, Khmelnytskyi, Kirovohrad, Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia.
Energy infrastructure under attack
The United Nations office for humanitarian affairs said Tuesday that several waves of attacks in the Kharkiv region over the past few days have killed and injured numerous civilians, including children.
'These attacks have triggered yet more displacement from border and front-line communities,' OCHA's Lisa Doughten told the U.N. Security Council. 'As of today, authorities report that over 7,000 civilians were evacuated from border areas of the Kharkiv region.'
A view shows cars damaged by shelling, what local authorities called a Ukrainian military strike, in the course of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in Belgorod, Russia, May 14, 2024. Mayor of Belgorod City Valentin Demidov via Telegram/Handout via REUTERS
She said that since March, Russia has specifically targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure, with the Kharkiv and Dnipro regions particularly affected. In April alone, the United Nations recorded 50 attacks that destroyed or damaged power generation plants and electricity substations, leaving millions across the country without power, water or cooking gas.
Doughten also expressed concern about what she said appears to be a new pattern of deadly attacks on railway infrastructure in Ukraine's east and south, with 10 such attacks in April in government-controlled areas.
'And we are alarmed by reports of attacks damaging energy infrastructure and oil refineries in the Russian Federation,' Doughten added. 'Such attacks risk inflaming the war further and worsening its humanitarian impacts.'
Moscow's envoy dismissed the accusations, saying Russia's air force carries out high-precision strikes only on facilities related to Kyiv's military capabilities. Vassily Nebenzia said life in Ukrainian cites is 'proceeding normally, on the whole.'
VOA's United Nations correspondent Margaret Besheer contributed to this report. Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
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