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“We also know that in the near term the assistance is now on the way, some of it has already arrived and more of it will be arriving,” Blinken said. “And that’s going to make a real difference against the ongoing Russian aggression on the battlefield.”
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Volodymyr Zelenskiy, meanwhile, told Blinken that air defence is Ukraine’s biggest deficit and that two air defence batteries are needed for Kharkiv now.
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The governor of the Kharkiv region, Oleh Sinehubov, said in a social media post this morning that four people were injured by Russian shelling.
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Good morning, welcome to the blog. The main news this morning is the unannounced visit to Kyiv by the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken.
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As Associated Press reports, the mission is designed to reassure Ukraine that it has American support as it struggles to defend itself against increasingly intense Russian attacks.
The visit comes less than a month after Congress approved a long-delayed foreign assistance package that sets aside $60bn in aid for Ukraine.
Artillery, air defence interceptors and long-range ballistic missiles have already been delivered, some of them already to the front lines, said a senior US official travelling with the secretary on an overnight train from Poland.
Blinken will “send a strong signal of reassurance” to Ukrainian leaders and civil society figures he will meet during his two-day visit, said the official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity.
In a statement released after Blinken‘s arrival, the State Department said he would meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and other top Ukrainian officials “to discuss battlefield updates, the impact of new US security and economic assistance, long-term security and other commitments, and ongoing work to bolster Ukraine’s economic recovery”.
Delays in U.S. assistance, particularly since Israel’s war with Hamas began to preoccupy top administration officials, triggered deep concerns in Kyiv and Europe. Blinken, for example, has visited the Middle East seven times since the Gaza conflict began in October. His last trip to Kyiv was in September.
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Blinken works on a train during a trip to Kyiv.”,”caption”:”Antony Blinken works on a train during a trip to Kyiv “,”credit”:”Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images”}}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”: false},”blockCreatedOn”:1715671477000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”03.24 EDT “,”blockLastUpdated”:1715671236000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”03.20 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1715671477000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”: “03.24 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone “:”03.24″,”title”:”Opening Overview”,”Contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Tuesday 14 May 2024 04.08 EDT”,”SecondaryDateLine”:”Initial publication date Tuesday 14 May 2024 03.24 EDT”}],”filterKeyEvents”:false,”id”:”key -events-carousel-mobile “}” config=”{“renderingTarget”:”Web”,”darkModeAvailable”:false,”assetOrigin”:”https://assets.guim.co.uk/”}”>
important events
President Zelenskiy stresses the need for air defense, weapons package will make a difference, Blinken says in Ukraine
In Kiev, the US Secretary of State antony blinkenReuters reported that new weapons packages have already arrived, with more to come.
“In the short term, we know that assistance is currently underway, some has already arrived, and more is on the way,” Blinken said. “And that will make a huge difference to the ongoing Russian invasion on the battlefield.”
Volodymyr ZelenskyMeanwhile, Blinken said air defense is Ukraine’s biggest weakness and that Kharkov currently needs two air defense squadrons.
A Ukrainian drone attack derailed a freight train and caused a fire in a diesel tank in the Volgograd region, Reuters reported, citing Russian media.
4 injured in Kharkiv
Kharkiv Governor Ole Sinevov said on social media: post Four people were injured in Russian shelling this morning.
antony blinken Arrived in Kyiv this morning
We look forward to welcoming you back to Kiev. @SecBlinken! pic.twitter.com/mtcZMry79C
— Ambassador Bridget A. Brink (@USAmbKyiv) May 14, 2024
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This is the latest image from Ukraine. As US Secretary of State, antony blinkenarrived for a visit.
“I returned to Kiev today to demonstrate our unwavering support for Ukraine as it defends its freedom from Russian aggression,” Blinken said.
I returned to Kyiv today to demonstrate my unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its freedom from Russian aggression. pic.twitter.com/7ruIw6GgVd
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) May 14, 2024
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I returned to Kyiv today to demonstrate my unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its freedom from Russian aggression. pic.twitter.com/7ruIw6GgVd
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) May 14, 2024
Opening overview
Good morning and welcome to the blog. The main news this morning is the unannounced visit to Kiev by the US Secretary of State. Anthony Blinken.
As the Associated Press reports, the mission is aimed at reassuring Ukraine that it has American support as it struggles to protect itself. Russia’s attacks intensify.
The visit comes less than a month after Congress approved it. Long-delayed foreign aid package secures $60 billion in aid For Ukraine.
A senior U.S. official traveling with the secretary by night train from Poland said artillery, air defense interceptors and long-range ballistic missiles had already been delivered, and some were already deployed on the front lines.
Blinken said,send a strong signal of reassurance“, the official told reporters on condition of anonymity to Ukrainian leaders and civil society figures he plans to meet during his two-day visit.
In a statement released afterwards BlinkenAfter Zelenskiy’s arrival, the State Department said he would provide “up-to-date information on the battlefield, the impact of new U.S. security and economic assistance, long-term security and other commitments, and ongoing efforts to strengthen Ukraine’s military capabilities.” He announced that he would meet with the two countries to discuss their efforts. “Economic recovery”.
The delay in US aid has raised deep concerns in Kiev and Europe, especially since Israel’s war with Hamas has begun to attract the attention of senior government officials. BlinkenFor example, he has visited the Middle East seven times since the Gaza conflict began in October. His last visit to Kiev was in September.
