STORY: ::U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in Kyiv
after Congress passes a $61 billion military aid package
::Kyiv, Ukraine
::May 14, 2024
The previously undisclosed trip aims to show U.S. solidarity with Ukraine as it struggles to fend off heavy Russian bombardment on its northeastern border.
Blinken, who arrived in Kyiv by train early on Tuesday morning, hopes to "send a strong signal of reassurance to the Ukrainians who are obviously in a very difficult moment," said a U.S. official who briefed reporters travelling with Blinken on condition of anonymity.
Blinken will reassure Ukrainian officials including President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of enduring U.S. support and deliver a speech focused on Ukraine's future, the official said.
Kyiv has been on the back foot on the battlefield for months as Russian troops have slowly advanced, mainly in the Donetsk region to the south, taking advantage of Ukraine's shortages of troop manpower and artillery shells. Russia's forces hold a significant advantage in manpower and munitions.
