US pledges over $700M more in humanitarian aid to Ukraine

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has announced more than $700 million in humanitarian aid for Ukraine during a visit to Kiev, aiming to bolster the energy grid that Russia has repeatedly pounded ahead of an expected difficult winter.

The announcement on Wednesday came while Blinken was on a rare joint tour with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy after the two top diplomats travelled together to the Ukrainian capital to underscore their commitment to the country in its war with Russia.

Ukrainian officials pressured the visitors to let them use Western-provided long-range missiles against targets inside Russia.

Blinken said he would "take that discussion back to Washington to brief the president".

"Speaking for the United States, we have adjusted and adapted as needs have changed, as the battlefield has changed. And I have no doubt that we'll continue to do that as this evolves," Blinken told a news conference.

The diplomatic visit unfolded as Russia's bigger and better-equipped army bears down on Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region and pounds the country with missiles, glide bombs and drones that claim many civilian casualties.

Lammy said the 2 1/2-year conflict is at a "critical" juncture following Ukraine's daring incursion last month into Russia's Kursk region, even as it tries to defend against its neighbour's aerial attacks on cities across the country.

"We convey the deepest condolences for the shocking attacks that we have seen, over the loss of civilian life, particularly women and children — horrific, barbaric, unbelievable," Lammy said.

He noted that Britain is setting aside 3 billion pounds ($3.9 billion) a year to help Ukraine.

Fears of escalation

But relations between Ukraine and its Western partners have been increasingly strained by Kiev's repeated appeals for the West's authorisation to use long-range weapons from the United States and other allies to strike targets deeper inside Russia.

That issue has become more urgent given Russia's latest reported acquisition of ballistic missiles from Iran, but Western leaders have balked at the request, fearing that, if granted, it could escalate the war.

US President Joe Biden has allowed Ukraine to fire US-provided missiles across the border into Russia in self-defence, but has largely limited the distance they can be fired.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he hoped for changes to those limitations.

"Let's count on some strong decisions, at least," he said. "For us, it's very important."

He said he hoped to speak to Biden later this month, noting that US military and financial support is crucial.

"We rely heavily on it, and frankly, we can't prevail without it," Zelenskyy said.

However, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin last week pushed back on the idea that long-range strikes would be a game-changer.

"I don't believe one capability is going to be decisive, and I stand by that comment," Austin said at a meeting of allied military leaders in Germany. The Ukrainians have other means to strike long-range targets, he added.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told Lammy he hoped an agreement on using long-range assets "for strikes on the territory of our enemy" could be reached. "We hope for your help and support in this issue."

Shmyhal described the meeting with Lammy in Kiev as "intense" but gave no other details in his post on his Telegram channel.

Hard winter

A hard winter likely lies ahead for Ukraine. Its power grid is under severe strain after Russian missiles and drones knocked out around 70 percent of the country's generation capacity.

Kiev officials will also have to navigate the outcome of the US election in November, which could produce important policy shifts in Washington. Former president Donald Trump said in a presidential debate Tuesday that he wants the war to end but did not clearly say he wants Ukraine to win.

The latest American aid package includes $325 million in energy support to help repair and restore Ukraine's power generation facilities, provide emergency backup power for critical services and strengthen the physical security of energy infrastructure.

Some $290 million will fund food, water, shelter, health care and education programmes for Ukrainians in need in the country and refugees outside the country. The remaining $102 million will be used for mine-removal work. Late last week, the US announced it would send $250 million more in weapons to Ukraine, including air-defence missiles and artillery.

The top US and British diplomats reached the Ukrainian capital by train from Poland.

Blinken travelled from London, where he accused Iran of providing Russia with Fath-360 short-range ballistic missiles, calling the move a "dramatic escalation" of the war.

Wednesday's visit came ahead of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's planned trip to Washington, where he will meet Biden at the White House on Friday. Ukraine's request for permission to strike Russian targets is due to feature in the discussion.

The visit was, unusually, announced in advance — a public signal of American and British support for Ukraine.

As Blinken and Lammy arrived in Kiev, the UK announced it would ban 10 commercial ships it accuses of illicitly transporting Russian oil in violation of international sanctions. The UK government said the vessels would be barred from British ports and could be detained if they enter.