• US Secretary of State Antony Blinken makes an unannounced visit to Ukraine.
• Visit coincides with the launch of a counteroffensive in Ukraine aimed at reclaiming Russian-occupied areas.
• Ukrainian Defense Minister met with US Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken paid an unannounced visit to Ukraine on Thursday, his third since Russia invaded the country more than six months ago.

The US Secretary of State met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

His visit coincides with the launch of a counteroffensive in Ukraine aimed at reclaiming Russian-occupied areas in the country’s south. It also coincides with a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, hosted by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

Austin and Blinken both traveled to Ukraine in late April. They are still the highest-ranking US officials to visit the country since the war began in late February. Several heads of state have traveled to Ukraine to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. US President Joe Biden has yet to visit, but the two leaders have spoken on the phone in recent weeks.

Also on Thursday, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov met with US Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley at the Ramstein base.

“Started the day with a meeting with great friends of Ukraine Lloyd Austin III @SecDef and Gen. Mark Milley @thejointstaff,” Reznikov tweeted. “We appreciate the US staunch support of Ukraine.”