As Russia Launches New Offensive , Blinken US Secretary Reassures Ukraine

Russia has launched a fierce new offensive along the northeastern border, capturing around 100 to 125 square kilometers (40 to 50 square miles) in the Kharkiv region, including at least seven villages, according to open-source monitoring analysts. While most of these villages were already depopulated, thousands of civilians in the area have fled the fighting.
The Kremlin’s forces have also been making a concerted push in the east, seeking to drive deeper into the partly occupied Donetsk region. The main focus of Russian attacks on Tuesday was Pokrovsk, just inside the Ukrainian border in Donetsk, where the Kremlin’s forces launched 24 assaults, according to the Ukrainian general staff’s report.

A Dangerous Time for Ukraine

Analysts have called this moment one of the most dangerous for Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asked for more air defense systems to protect civilians under Russian fire in the northeast, stating, “We know this is a challenging time.”
The renewed offensive in the northeastern region of Kharkiv is the most significant border incursion since the early days of the war, coming after months when the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line barely budged. More than 7,500 civilians have been evacuated from the area, according to authorities.

Blinken Pledges U.S. Support

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who made an unannounced visit to Kyiv on Tuesday, reassured Ukraine of continued American support, stating that the military aid “is going to make a real difference against the ongoing Russian aggression on the battlefield.” Some of the aid approved in the recent $60 billion foreign assistance package is already on its way or has arrived in Ukraine.
The U.N. human rights office expressed deep concern over the plight of civilians in Ukraine, with spokeswoman Liz Throssell stating, “In the Kharkiv region, the situation is dire.” As Russia expands its push to the northern border regions of Sumy and Chernihiv, Ukraine’s outgunned and outnumbered soldiers are struggling to hold them back.

Accelerating US Weapon Shipments to Ukraine

The Biden administration has announced $1.4 billion in short-term military assistance and $6 billion in longer-term support since the aid package was signed last month. According to National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, the administration is “trying to really accelerate the tempo” of US weapon shipments to Ukraine.
However, delays in US assistance, particularly due to the Israel-Hamas war, have raised concerns in Kyiv and Europe. Blinken has visited the Middle East seven times since the conflict in Gaza began in October, while his last trip to Kyiv was in September.

Symbolic Gestures and Strategic Successes

During his visit, Blinken joined Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba for lunch at a Kyiv pizza restaurant founded by Ukrainian veterans, describing it as “superb.” This symbolic gesture aimed to highlight Ukraine’s resilience and the US’s support for its people.
Blinken is scheduled to deliver a speech extolling Ukraine’s “strategic successes” in the war, complementing his previous address in Helsinki, where he criticized Putin for Moscow’s strategic failures in launching the invasion.
Despite recent setbacks, a senior US official acknowledged that Ukraine could still claim significant victories, including reclaiming about 50% of the territory initially captured by Russian forces, boosting its economic standing, and improving transportation and trade links through military successes in the Black Sea.

Tensions with China over Russia Support

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to make a two-day state visit to China this week. Beijing has backed Moscow politically in the war and has sent machine tools, electronics, and other items seen as contributing to the Russian war effort, without directly exporting weaponry.
In his remarks to Zelenskyy, Blinken emphasized, “A strong, successful, thriving, free Ukraine is the best possible rebuke to Putin and the best possible guarantor for your future