Blinken visits Ukraine in gesture of support as counteroffensive grinds on

KYIV - United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Kyiv on Wednesday to show support for Ukraine and its grinding counteroffensive against Russian forces, and said Washington wanted to ensure its ally has a “strong deterrent”.

Mr Blinken arrived hours after the latest Russian air strike on Kyiv, though no damage or casualties were reported in the capital.

During his two-day visit, Mr Blinken is likely to announce a new package of US assistance worth more than US$1 billion (S$1.36 billion), a senior State Department official told reporters on the trip.

Mr Blinken, the first top US official to visit Kyiv since the counteroffensive began in early June, held talks with Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and was due to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky, the official said.

“We want to make sure that Ukraine has what it needs, not only to succeed in the counteroffensive, but has what it needs for the long term, to make sure that it has a strong deterrent,” Mr Blinken said, standing alongside Mr Kuleba.

“We’re also determined to continue to work with our partners as they build and rebuild a strong economy, strong democracy.”

Media reports have cited unidentified US officials as saying the Ukrainian counteroffensive has been too slow and hindered by poor tactics – criticism that angered Ukrainian officials and prompted Mr Kuleba to tell critics to “shut up”.

Ukraine has retaken more than a dozen villages and small settlements in its offensive but its soldiers’ push into Russian-held territory has been slowed by minefields and trenches.

US officials have not publicly criticised Ukraine’s military tactics, and last week said they had seen notable Ukrainian progress in the previous 72 hours of its push in the south-east.

The State Department official said Washington wanted to discuss how the counteroffensive was going and assess battlefield needs, as well as any steps that might be required to shore up Ukraine’s energy security before winter.

“I think what’s most important is that we get a real assessment from the Ukrainians themselves,” the official said. “We want to see, hear how they intend to push forward in the coming weeks.”

Asked about Mr Blinken’s visit, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow believed Washington planned to continue funding Ukraine’s military “to wage this war to the last Ukrainian”. He said US aid to Kyiv would not affect the course of Russia’s “special military operation”.

Rising opposition to Ukraine aid

Mr Blinken’s visit coincided with Parliament approving the appointment of former lawmaker Rustem Umerov as defence minister, following the dismissal of Mr Oleksii Reznikov. Officials did not say whether Mr Blinken would meet Mr Umerov during the visit.

Despite staunch US support for Ukraine so far since Russia’s invasion in February last year, several Republican presidential hopefuls have questioned that aid, fuelling concerns over whether Washington will be able to back Ukraine at the same level once the US 2024 election campaign intensifies.

The US government has so far provided more than US$43 billion in weaponry and other military aid to Ukraine. A new package of security assistance is set to be announced this week, Reuters reported on Friday.

Kyiv is hoping to receive US-made F-16 fighter jets pledged by a number of Nato allies.

Mr Biden asked Congress in August to approve about US$40 billion in additional spending, including US$24 billion for Ukraine and other international needs.

The request could face opposition in Congress, where some far-right Republicans – especially those with close ties to former president Donald Trump – want to pare back the billions in assistance Washington has sent to Ukraine. REUTERS