US Secretary of State Antony Blinken walks on Independence Square in Kyiv, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. US military aid for Ukraine is “now on its way” and will “make a real difference,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a visit to Kyiv on May 14, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday that American military aid on its way to Ukraine would make a “real difference” on the battlefield, as the top diplomat made an unannounced visit to Kyiv to reassure an ally facing a fierce new Russian offensive.

In increasingly intense attacks along the northeastern border in recent days, Moscow’s troops have captured around 100-125 sq. km in the Kharkiv region.

The Kremlin’s forces have also been making a concerted push in the east, seeking to drive deeper into the partly occupied Donetsk region.

Analysts have called this moment one of the most dangerous for Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 — and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked on Tuesday for more air defense systems.

“We know this is a challenging time,” Mr. Blinken said adding that U.S. military aid is “going to make a real difference against the Russian aggression.”