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, and promised more aid to fend off Russian troops now attempting an advance in the east.
The meeting between the US delegation and Ukraine’s leaders ran for three hours, or more than double the allotted time, a US official said. Today, the nearest Russian troops are hundreds of miles away, normal life is returning to the capital, Western leaders have been visiting and countries are reopening their embassies.
Across the border in Russia’s Bryansk region, authorities were battling a huge blaze at an oil depot. There was no immediate indication that the fire was connected to the war, but Russia accused Ukraine of a helicopter attack in that area last week.