It comes as the highest-level US visit to Ukraine was made yesterday since the start of Russia’s invasion with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visiting Kyiv for a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky. They pledged US$713 million in military aid, taking America’s support for Ukraine’s fight to almost $3 billion. The US is also keen to reopen its embassy in Kyiv ASAP. The visit was kept under wraps until the senior Biden administration figures had left the country and arrived safely in Poland – it was all a bit awkward because Zelensky had told local journalists about the visit on Sunday. Also challenged on the expectations front is Russia – it’s yet to achieve a significant breakthrough in its offensive in eastern Ukraine. According to the UK’s Ministry of Defence, Ukrainian troops holed up in a steel plant in Mariupol are fighting on, and that’s stopping Russian forces from being added to the offensive elsewhere in the Donbas region.