Headline Roundup September 6, 2023
Blinken Visits Kyiv, Affirms US Support for Ukraine
Ukraine War,Antony Blinken,Volodymyr Zelensky,Ukraine,Russia,Kyiv,Defense And Security,Foreign Policy,State Department
Summary from the AllSides News Team
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced visit to Kyiv on Wednesday, reaffirming America’s support for Ukraine amid a pivotal counteroffensive.
More Aid Expected: Blinken announced a new military aid package for Ukraine worth $1 billion. The aid stands in the face of softening support for continued funding in the U.S. and some other Ukrainian allies.
Key Quote: “We’ve seen good progress in the counteroffensive, which is very heartening,” Blinken said in a meeting with Ukraine’s foreign minister. “We want to make sure that Ukraine has what it needs not only to succeed in the counteroffensive, but it has what it needs for the long term, to make sure that it has a strong deterrent,” Blinken added, “so that in the future, aggressions like this don’t happen again.”
Market Attack: Shortly after Blinken’s visit, a Russian missile strike killed 17 and injured more than 30 in the eastern city of Kostyantynivka. Ukrainian officials said the strike hit a crowded outdoor market and killed a child.
How the Media Covered It: Coverage was common across the news media, with some apparent differences in enthusiasm for Ukraine. While CNN (Lean Left bias) said Blinken visited Ukraine “seeking to double down on US support,” Fox News (Right bias) said he visited to “review” the counteroffensive to see “what kind of support is required.” Update 9/6/23: Updated once Blinken formally pledged the aid package.
Featured Coverage of this Story

BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to Ukraine for an unannounced visit Wednesday, landing in Kyiv hours after Russia launched its first missile attack in a week against the Ukrainian capital.
Blinken’s trip is focused on assessing the strategy and effectiveness of Ukraine’s three-month-old counteroffensive against Russia’s troops in occupied Ukrainian territories. The visit is also to signal continued U.S. support for Ukraine amid some concerns among Western allies over the pace of progress in the more than 550-day war, according to U.S. officials.
The senior U.S. diplomat aims to get a view on...

Kevin Wurm/Reuters
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Kyiv Wednesday on what is his third trip to the Ukrainian capital since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, seeking to double down on US support for Kyiv’s counteroffensive and make the political case back home that the US needs to commit billions of dollars more to help defeat Vladmir Putin.
Blinken said the US is “determined to continue to walk side-by-side” with Ukraine when he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky, as he called the country’s progress in the counteroffensive “very, very...

Press service of the Interior Ministry of Ukraine/Handout via REUTERS
Ukraine has made important progress in its counteroffensive against Russia's invasion, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a visit overshadowed by a Russian attack on Wednesday that killed at least 17 people.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the attack, which officials said hit a crowded market in the city of Kostiantynivka, close to the battlefield. He said a child was among the dead, and officials said at least 32 people were hurt.
"This Russian evil must be defeated as soon as possible," Zelenskiy said, describing it as a deliberate attack on...
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