Zelenskyy-Blinken Kyiv meeting: talks on Patriot supply and Global Summit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the battlefield situation, Ukrainian troop support, and further defense cooperation during their meeting in Kyiv, Zelenskyy said on X on May 14.

Read also: U.S. Secretary of State visits Kyiv to boost morale and aid delivery

"We discussed the need for Patriot systems in Ukraine to protect our cities and communities, such as Kharkiv and the surrounding region," Zelenskyy said.

"Two Patriots for the Kharkiv region could significantly contribute to the protection of lives from Russian terror."

Zelenskyy and Blinken discussed preparations for the Global Peace Summit to be held in Switzerland.

"It is important for us that the United States and President Biden participate and that America's role in maintaining rules-based international order does not weaken," Zelenskyy said.

Read also: U.S. and European allies scramble to get weapons to Ukraine after months-long delay

The Ukrainian President thanked the American people, the U.S. Congress, President Biden and his team for supporting Ukraine in the fight against Russian aggression.

"We appreciate the United States' decision to continue its support for Ukraine, and we discussed how to best implement the announced aid packages and get weapons into the hands of our warriors as soon as possible," he said.

Read also: Ukraine needs two Patriot air defense systems to protect Kharkiv and Oblast - Zelenskyy tells Blinken

Blinken arrived in Kyiv hours earlier on an unannounced visit.

The visit to Ukraine by a high-ranking American official was the first since the U.S. Congress passed a long-stalled $61 billion military aid package for Ukraine last month.

The package will soon arrive in Ukraine, Blinken told Zelenskyy.

U.S. aid to Ukraine

After months of delay, the U.S. House of Representatives finally passed a bill providing over $60 billion in support for Ukraine on April 20.

The U.S. Senate also passed the Ukraine aid bill on April 24.

U.S. President Joe Biden signed the bill the same day, adding that deliveries would begin "immediately, within hours."

The aid package includes ammunition for air defense systems, artillery, missile systems, and armored vehicles, he added.

The new aid package for Ukraine should last until the end of 2024, the White House stated.

The U.S. secretly sent over 100 long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine in March, The New York Times reported.

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