Blinken Visits Kyiv In Show Of Support

September 6, 2023 5:11 am

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has arrived in Kyiv on an unannounced visit, hours after Russia launched its first missile attack in a week against the Ukrainian capital. Blinken’s trip Wednesday aimed to assess Ukraine’s 3-month-old counteroffensive and signal continued U.S. support for Kyiv’s efforts to drive out the Kremlin’s forces after 19 months of war. Some of Ukraine’s Western allies have expressed concerns over the pace of the counteroffensive’s progress. Washington officials said possible alternative export routes for Ukrainian grain will also be discussed following Russia’s exit from the Black Sea Grain Initiative and its frequent bombardment of port facilities in the Odesa region from where most grain is transported abroad.