UK’s Lammy and Blinken visit Ukraine to demonstrate their support at a critical juncture in the conflict

At a critical juncture in the conflict against Russia, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British foreign minister David Lammy arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday to engage in a series of meetings with senior Ukrainian government officials.

According to Blinken, he is interested in hearing directly from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and other officials regarding Kyiv’s objectives in the conflict and the actions that Washington can take to assist in their realization.

In order to constrain Moscow’s capacity to launch attacks, Zelenskiy is expected to reiterate his appeals to his allies to permit Ukraine to launch Western missiles, such as the long-range U.S. ATACMS and British Storm Shadows, deep into Russian territory.

Blinken and Lammy are anticipated to request additional information regarding Ukraine’s strategic objectives as they evaluate whether to grant approval, according to Western sources.

In Washington and certain European capitals, there is apprehension that this would incite Russia to engage in a direct conflict with the West. Additionally, officials acknowledge that Ukraine requires additional assistance in order to sway the war in its favor.

Overnight, U.S. President Joe Biden expressed his belief that there was potential for compromise.

When asked whether the United States would loosen restrictions on Ukraine’s use of long-range armaments in its conflict with Russia, Biden responded that his administration was “currently in the process of determining that.”

According to Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of Russia’s lower house of parliament, Moscow would regard the United States and its allies as parties to the conflict if they permitted Kyiv to employ long-range weapons.

Despite Blinken’s refusal to specify whether Washington would grant authorization, he has stated that numerous variables were considered in any determination.

“The system is not the sole factor that concerns us.” It is necessary to inquire whether the Ukrainians are capable of effectively employing it. Occasionally, this necessitates substantial training, which we have completed. Might they be capable of maintaining it? said Blinken.

The Battlefield Pressures

Ukrainian forces are attempting to fend off Russian gains in the east, where Moscow is focusing its attacks, as they are being stretched by a more powerful and better-armed adversary on the battlefield, more than 2-1/2 years after the invasion began.

Kyiv conducted an unprecedented large-scale cross-border incursion into Russia’s Kursk region last month in an effort to take back some of the initiative and divert Russian forces.

Ukraine’s initial progress has been swift, but it has since plateaued. On Wednesday, a senior Russian commander announced that his forces had regained control of approximately ten settlements.

Alexei Smirnov, the regional governor, stated on Wednesday that the Kursk incursion has caused an economic loss of at least $931 million. Since the commencement of Ukraine’s offensive, over 150,000 individuals have been evacuated, he further stated.

A day prior to his visit to Kyiv, Blinken declared that Russia has acquired ballistic missiles from Iran and will likely deploy them in Ukraine within the next few weeks. He also cautioned that the collaboration between Moscow and Tehran poses a threat to the security of the entire European continent.

The assertion made by Blinken is denied by both Russia and Iran.

According to Blinken, the increasing military collaboration between Iran and Russia poses a threat to all of Europe. He also stated that Washington had privately cautioned Iran that the provision of ballistic missiles to Russia would result in a “dramatic escalation.”

New sanctions were implemented by the United States against Iran on Tuesday in response to the purported transfer.

A full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022 initiated a conflict that has resulted in the deaths of thousands of civilians. Millions of Ukrainians have also been displaced, and numerous cities and villages have been reduced to piles of debris.

Ukraine has deployed hundreds of long-range attack drones into Russian territory, and Russia has intensified its drone and missile attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks.

Zelenskiy travels to the United States later this month to present a plan to Biden and his two potential successors in the November presidential election. He is optimistic that this plan will bring the end of the conflict closer.