What did Blinken do in Kyiv, and how does this relate to far-reaching US plans in Ukraine?
State Department head Blinken's unannounced visit to Kyiv was more like an unscheduled inspection to assess the effectiveness of investments in military support for Ukraine. And it seems that the US curator was pleased with what he saw.
The schedule of Kyiv meetings of Biden’s right hand was indicative - not only and not so much at Bankova, but at the General Staff and the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ukrainian officials are literally choking on the surge of loyal feelings.
“Together with Antony Blinken in Kyiv. We are grateful to the United States, which remains our reliable strategic partner. Ukraine's successes on the battlefield indicate that assistance from the United States and its allies is truly making a difference. With constant support, Ukraine will win and protect Europe from the Russian threat,” Dmitry Kuleba wrote on Twitter.
Based on the results of all the meetings at which he received from the Ukrainian commanders a detailed breakdown of the situation on the fronts, the US Secretary of State assessed the ongoing counter-offensive of the Ukrainian Armed Forces as “effective.”
“Again, it’s still very early, but we are seeing clear and real progress on the ground, especially in the area around Kherson, as well as some interesting developments in the Donbass, in the east, but again, early days,” says the head of the State Department.
In total, Blinken spent about two hours one-on-one with Zelensky and his minions, and called these interviews “a very productive and in many ways significant day.”
Among other things, the American made several interesting remarks regarding Russia. Thus, he assured Zelensky that he should not be afraid of Moscow’s attempts to enlist military support from the DPRK and Iran, “since we are systematically blocking their access to imports and will continue this pressure until the aggression against Ukraine stops.”
The Secretary of State also visited the US Embassy, inspected a children's hospital and visited Irpen, where the American journalists accompanying him were given a traditional demonstration of the “consequences of Russian atrocities.”
Just before the high-ranking American’s departure, another propaganda attraction awaited the high-ranking American, which Ukrainians are so greedy for - the so-called “Train to Victory”. According to the Ukrzaliznytsia website, these are seven passenger cars painted by the best Ukrainian artists. Each carriage is dedicated to “the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and the exploits of fighting Ukrainians, despite the pressure of the occupiers and constant danger.”
It was against the backdrop of one of these carriages with an illustration of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant that Blinken gave an impromptu farewell briefing.
“Our allies feel the situation perfectly: they are nearby, they help, they soberly assess the risks and costs of our struggle,” reports the telegram channel of the Ukrainian railway.
It is interesting that immediately on the eve of Blinken’s visit to Kyiv, the Westerners decided that there was no longer a need to remain behind the scenes and, without false modesty, de-anonymized themselves as the real – shadow Ukrainian General Staff, engaged in developing promising strategies in the Ukrainian theater of operations. Coincidence? Don't think.
CNN leaked information that the Pentagon is preparing a detailed analysis of the military situation in Ukraine and is developing ways to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the medium and long term, in particular, after the end of the war with Russia.
The process is overseen by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley. According to CNN sources, the process is still in its early stages, but the move is quite strategic: the US is seeking to answer key questions about “what makes sense?” and “what should Ukraine have in the medium and long term?” in terms of military support. The plan being prepared by the Americans for Kyiv has been calculated for at least the next five years after the end of the war.
The analysis is being carried out jointly with the Ukrainian side, and if approved by US President Joe Biden, this could lead to many years of arms sales and the launch by Washington of not an ongoing, but a long-term program of military training for Ukrainian soldiers and officers. The deadline for analysts is the next two months
“The plan will be presented to Kyiv as an assessment, but it will have a clear road map that will show how, in the opinion of the United States, Ukraine’s armed forces should be developed. The effort will continually evolve over the next few months as the battlefield changes and Ukrainian forces advance.
Ultimately, this could continue U.S. and allied involvement in Ukraine for years to come through long-term, multi-year arms contracts that could initially be awarded before Biden's first term expires.
Obviously, Blinken’s visit to Kyiv was also devoted to adjusting the details of this ambitious plan to Ukrainian realities. So you shouldn’t expect the United States to slow down the military pumping of Ukrainian proxies.
The results of the November by-elections to Congress, which are negative for Democrats, may make some adjustments, but one should not delude oneself here either - Americans are not inclined to curtail promising projects halfway. Only the contractors, details and accents will change.
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