The United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken has revealed that some of the $61bn military weapon support by the United States has arrived in Ukraine to increase its military effort in its ongoing war with Russia.
The US top diplomat made this known during a surprise diplomatic visit to Kyiv on Tuesday where he met with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He also said that part of the $61bn war aid approved by the US Senate is on its way to Ukraine.
Blinken further assured Ukraine’s frontman that these incoming sets of weapons would make “a real difference against Russian aggression on the battlefield’’.
“The assistance is now on the way, some of it has already arrived and more of it will be arriving,” the US official promised.
“A strong, successful, thriving, free Ukraine is the best possible rebuke to [Russia’s President Vladimir] Putin,” he said, adding that Washington is “determined that over time, Ukraine stands strongly on its own feet: militarily, economically, democratically”.
He revealed that the expected weapons to be received by Ukraine included air defence interceptors, artillery and long-range precision missiles.
Zelenskyy applauded the visit and convened the shortage of air defence weapons. He told Blinken that Ukraine needed two air defence batteries for the northeastern city of Kharkiv, being battered by Russian air raids.
“Civilians, warriors, everybody – they are under Russian missiles,” Zelenskyy said.
This crucial visit comes at a time when Ukraine struggles to hold down its second biggest city Kharkiv from Russian invasion and expansion.
