Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Kyiv on Thursday sent an important signal to Ukraine.
"This is a very important signal that the United States is with us. For us this is a guarantee that we can return our territories and our land," Zelenskiy said in video comments circulated by the president's office.
Blinken visited Kyiv to pledge $2 billion in fresh security aid, including support the Biden administration hopes will bolster a Ukrainian counteroffensive aimed at pushing back Russian forces in the south and east.
Blinken’s second visit to the Ukrainian capital since Russia's February invasion comes as Ukraine reported progress in its effort to retake territory seized by Russia near Ukraine’s second largest city, Kharkiv.
Meeting Zelenskiy at his fortified presidential administration building in Kyiv, Blinken said his visit came at a "pivotal moment" for Ukraine, noting the counteroffensive was proving effective, according to a pool reporter who was present.
Blinken also met Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and visited a children's hospital, where he met youngsters injured in Russian bombardments.
In a statement, Blinken said Washington would support Ukraine "for as long as it takes" and announced a new $2.2 billion foreign military financing package for Ukraine and 18 other countries deemed at risk of future Russian aggression. An official earlier said the package would be worth $2 billion.
Approximately $1 billion would be allocated to Ukraine, an official said. The rest would be divided among Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
