Blinken, the first senior U.S. official to visit since the Ukrainian counteroffensive began three months ago, flew into Kyiv Wednesday where he met with Zelenskyy and other senior members of his government.
He later announced a new package of U.S. wartime assistance worth more than $1 billion.
This included money for munitions, military financing and humanitarian assistance, as well as tackling corruption, the State Department said. More than $200 million was allocated to anti-corruption reforms and strengthening the justice sector.
The aid package is drawn from funding already approved by Congress.
“Beyond even the equipment, beyond even the training, beyond even the resources that we’re giving them, fundamentally what they’re fighting for is what will make the difference,” Blinken said.
But the first day of his visit was marred by a Russian missile attack on a market in the eastern city of Kostiantynivka. Ukrainian officials said 17 people, including a child, were killed and 38 injured by the strike.
“These were people who were simply going shopping, trying to put food on the table,” Blinken said. “So it’s so important not to lose sight of what this means to the men and women of Ukraine.”
Kostiantynivka is close to the front lines in the east, where Ukrainian forces have been battling to seize back occupied land before winter sets in.
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The Kremlin has already largely dismissed the Ukrainian counteroffensive as a failure, and the slow nature of any progress since it was launched in June has led to growing criticism from some of its closest partners about the way it is managing the war and fueled doubts about Kyiv’s ability to win a decisive military victory.
That in turn has led to sharp pushback from some Ukrainian officials, and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told critics to “shut up” in a briefing to reporters last week.
Despite staunch U.S. support for Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February last year, several Republican presidential hopefuls have questioned U.S. aid, including former President Donald Trump, fueling concerns over whether Washington will still back Ukraine at the same level once the 2024 election campaign intensifies.
The U.S. government has so far provided more than $43 billion in weaponry and other military aid to Ukraine and last month President Joe Biden asked Congress to approve about $40 billion in additional spending, including $24 billion for Ukraine and other international needs.
Richard Engel reported from Ukraine, and Gabe Joselow and Henry Audtin from London.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
