US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken left Kyiv after his unannounced visit on Thursday, where he said the ongoing counter-offensive was “proving to be effective”. The top US diplomat also said it would be “hard to imagine” that Russia’s so-called filtering operations, which have forcibly deported hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians, would have been possible without the guidance of Russian President Vladimir Putin. During a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Blinken attributed the success of the counteroffensive to the “incredible bravery, resilience of the Ukrainians” and said the US was “so pleased to be able to support your efforts.” “Basically, what it comes down to, I think the reason for this success is that this is your homeland, not Russia’s. And it’s so basic,” the top US diplomat said while sitting across from Zelensky. Speaking to the press before leaving the city by train, Blinken said he had received “a comprehensive briefing on the counter-attack. “Again, it’s very early, but we’re seeing clear and real progress on the ground, particularly in the area around Kherson, but also some interesting developments in Donbass, in the east, but again, early days,” he said. Blinken said he spent about two hours with Zelensky and his team and called it “a very productive and in many ways meaningful day.” In addition to meeting with Zelensky and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, he visited the US Embassy, toured a children’s hospital and went to Irpin, where he saw firsthand the devastation wrought by the Russian occupation of the Kiev suburb. The top US diplomat told the press that he “was able to witness horrific attacks on homes, on buildings, apparently belonging to civilians, where the shelling, the rockets, the bullets, it’s all there. And at best, it’s indiscreet. At worst, it’s intentional. And I was able to talk to people who were doing a remarkable job of collecting evidence of war crimes and atrocities, as well as those responsible for the city who are working to rebuild it,” he said. Ukrainian forces regained control of Irpin in late March, but the town was left in ruins. Damage was still visible as the top US diplomat toured part of the city, led by Deputy Mayor Dmytro Nehresha, according to press accompanying Blinken. Blinken was told that 95% of the city was evacuated at one point, but the vast majority – about 78% – have returned and are taking in internally displaced people from Kherson.
