U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin Meet With Ukraine Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv

U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken and Defense Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday night in Kyiv.

According to USA Today, the announcement was made by Ukraine's presidential adviser, Oleksiy Arestovych, saying in an interview on Ukrainian TV late Sunday that talks are ongoing.

Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin's meeting with the Ukrainian president is the highest-ranking visit to Ukraine by a U.S. delegation since Russia started its invasion.

Zelenskyy earlier said he had plans to have a meeting with Blinken and Austin. However, he did not provide any other details regarding the matter.

Zelenskyy noted that he was looking for the U.S. to increase its arms shipments to Kyiv, according to Al Jazeera. A State Department spokesperson has declined to comment regarding the meeting that took place in Kyiv.

No White House Confirmation on Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin's Meeting With Volodymyr Zelenskyy Amid Russia-Ukraine War

President Joe Biden has committed $3.4 billion in assistance since the start of the Russia invasion, according to Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby.

NPR reported that the U.S. aid includes Howitzers, tactical vehicles, and artillery sounds. The Ukrainian president also plans to meet with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, aside from U.S. officials.

According to DW, Biden's top cabinet members' visit to Ukraine was kept under wraps, with the White House not confirming any visit. Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier said he would ask Blinken and Austin for more "powerful weapons" during their meeting.

The White House has facilitated the supply of spare parts to Kyiv to get 20 warplanes back in the air, expanding the range of heavy weaponry it is delivering into the fight.

Ian Brzezinski, who headed Nato policy at the Pentagon during the Bush administration, said the Biden administration was very hesitant in the not too distant past to hand out equipment that would give the Ukrainians the capability to protect themselves.

According to Irish Times, Brzezinski noted that the administration was not providing armored personnel carriers, long-range howitzers, or helicopters six weeks ago. The U.S. has committed $1.6 billion since last week out of the $3.4 billion in lethal aid it has pledged since the start of the war.

Russia-Ukraine War

More than 2.9 million people have fled Ukraine and gone to Poland since the Russian invasion of Ukraine started in February, as announced by the Polish Border Guard on Sunday.

However, ABC News reported that the number of people crossing the border into Poland has decreased in recent days, while the number of refugees going back into Ukraine has increased.

Ukraine's losses have reached $1 trillion since Russian breached into the country, including destroyed homes and massive damage to the country's infrastructure.

Oleg Ustenko, the economic adviser to the Ukrainian president, noted that the figure of damage increased every day, with the "aggressor" having destroyed homes and infrastructures with their airstrikes.

Meanwhile, the opening of humanitarian corridors for people to escape Mariupol did not happen as scheduled on Sunday, as Russian forces in the area did not confirm a ceasefire.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Zelenskyy Adviser: U.S. Secretaries Antony Blinken And Lloyd Austin Met With Ukraine President In Kyiv - From MSNBC