Zelensky flags 'biggest problem' to Blinken as Russians advance in Kharkiv

The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's arrival in Kyiv coincided with advancing Russian forces in the Kharkiv region. As Blinken asserted Washington's purported commitmentto support Kyiv's war effort, Ukrainians faced their toughest battlefield scenario in months.

Russian offensive in Ukraine's northeast, especially in the Kharkiv region has forced thousands to flee their homes. On Tuesday (May 14), it hit the centre of Kharkiv with airstrikes. Kharkiv is Ukraine's second biggest city after Kyiv.

"We know this is a challenging time," Blinken said before meeting Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky. "The assistance is now on the way, some of it has already arrived and more of it will be arriving … And that’s going to make a real difference against the ongoing Russian aggression on the battlefield."

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Zelensky thanked Blinken for the US assistance but said air defence remained the "biggest problem" and asked for two new Patriot batteries for the Kharkiv region.

Hours later, central Kharkiv was hit with airstrikes. Officials said 20 people had been injured, including three children. One of the sites hit with airstrikes was a 20-storey building in the city centre, emergency services said.

What does it mean?

Antony Blinken's Kyiv visit came three weeks after Joe Biden signed a $60bn aid package for Ukraine. That aid package in itself came months after Republicans blocked it in the US Congress.

Ukrainian officials say that the delay in US weapons made a difficult situation at the front even worse.

"The delay in passing the supplemental aid package did have an effect on the battlefield," according to an official US Department of Defense readout.

Russia's Kharkiv offensive

For the first time since February 2022, when Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a 'special military operation' against Ukraine, Kharkiv is back in the Russian artillery range. The Russian forces have seized a number of villages in recent days.

The Russian push in the Kharkiv region has stretched Ukraine's forces further. Ukraine has launched a new mobilisation drive to fill the depleted ranks at the frontline.

(With inputs from agencies)