World News: US to reopen Kyiv embassy soon, says Russia has failed in war aims – Gulf Digital News

World News: US to reopen Kyiv embassy soon, says Russia has failed in war aims – Gulf Digital News

The United States will reopen its embassy in Ukraine soon, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday after he and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin visited Kyiv, promising more military aid and hailing the fight against Russia's invasion.

Both men said the fact they were able to come to Kyiv was proof of Ukraine's tenacity in forcing Moscow to abandon an assault on the capital last month.

"What you've done in repelling the Russians in the battle of Kyiv is extraordinary and inspiring quite frankly to the rest of the world," Austin told President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at a meeting overnight after a train journey from Poland. "We are here to support you in any way possible."

Said Blinken: "The reason we're back is because of you, because of the extraordinary courage, leadership and success that you've had in pushing back this horrific Russian aggression."

The meeting between the U.S. delegation and Ukraine's leaders ran for three hours, more than double the allotted time, a U.S. official said.

"In terms of Russia’s war aims, Russia has already failed and Ukraine has already succeeded," Blinken told a briefing in Poland after returning.

U.S. officials said Austin and Blinken pledged new assistance worth $713 million for Zelenskiy's government and