US Secretary of State Antony Blinken Arrives in Ukraine on an Unannounced Official Visit

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Kyiv on an unannounced official visit. This information was reported by sources in the Office of the President, as reported by 'Suspilne.'

Currently, the details of the agenda and the purpose of Secretary Blinken's visit are unknown. Social media platforms are sharing images of Antony Blinken's arrival in Kyiv, and certain streets in the Ukrainian capital have been closed.

Earlier, diplomatic sources informed journalists that the official planned to visit Ukraine, but the US State Department declined to officially comment on this information. A deputy spokesperson for the US Department of State, Vedant Patel, did not confirm the details of Blinken's trip during a briefing.

This marks the third visit of the US Secretary of State to Ukraine. Antony Blinken previously visited Ukraine a year ago in September. On that occasion, the arrival of the American Secretary of State was also not announced in advance. During the visit, the Secretary of State visited the town of Irpin in the Kyiv region, where he personally witnessed the consequences of Russia's military aggression against Ukraine: buildings and vehicles burnt by Russian forces, signs of shelling, destroyed housing, and infrastructure.

In April 2022, Blinken visited Ukraine alongside US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin. During that secret visit, senior American officials announced the allocation of military aid. US officials pledged to provide additional assistance amounting to $713 million to the Ukrainian government and other regional countries to counter further Russian aggression.

Antony Blinken has a personal connection to Ukraine as well: his great-grandfather, Meir Blinken, was born in Kyiv and grew up in a religious Jewish family. He received his education at one of the city's commercial schools. Antony Blinken's grandfather, Morris Blinken, was also born in Kyiv. In 1904, the Blinken family immigrated to the United States, as stated by Antony Blinken himself, "escaping pogroms."

In the early hours before Antony Blinken's visit to Kyiv, the Russian military conducted another air attack on Ukrainian cities, including the capital. Ukrainian air defence forces reportedly shot down 8 missiles and 15 drones.