Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made their remarks following a top-secret trip to Kyiv, the highest-level American visit since Russia invaded Ukraine.

As the conflict enters a new phase at the start of its third month, the US will give more military supplies and re-establish diplomatic ties with Ukraine as a show of solidarity.

The assurances, made during a covert trip to Kyiv by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, will aim to restore confidence in Ukraine’s defences as Russia prepares a fresh push in the country’s south and east. Following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other officials in the country’s capital, American officials expressed their strong support for Kyiv’s cause. Blinken said that “Russia is failing” to achieve its war objectives, while Austin stated that the US wants “to see Russia crippled militarily” so that it can no longer do things like attack its democratic neighbour.
With the United States and its allies appearing encouraged by Russia’s troubles in the conflict, the West hailed the re-election of French President Emmanuel Macron as a further boost to the cause. After fending off a challenge from the far-right Marine Le Pen, who threatened to upend NATO and demanded stronger ties with Russia, Zelenskyy hailed Macron, calling him “a great friend of Ukraine.”