Russia is failing in its war aims, says US

ISTANBUL

Russia is failing to achieve its war aims in Ukraine, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday.

A day after a meeting in Kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Blinken and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin held a news conference in Poland.

"When it comes to Russia's war aims, Russia is failing, Ukraine is succeeding," Blinken said at the conference.

As its principal aim, Russia has been trying to "totally subjugate Ukraine -- to take away its sovereignty, to take away its independence," said the US official, adding: "That has failed."

He underlined that Moscow also "sought to assert the power of its military and its economy."

"We of course are seeing just the opposite -- a military that is dramatically underperforming; an economy, as a result of sanctions, as a result of a mass exodus from Russia, that is in shambles."

For his part, Austin said the nature of the war was now changing and that Ukraine needs more long-range weapon systems and ammunition, according to Poland's state-run news agency PAP.

Against this backdrop, the US is doing its best to provide Ukraine what it needs, including the types of artillery and ammunition that will prove effective in this phase of the fight, he asserted.

The defense chief noted that the US is also encouraging other countries to send similar weapon systems to Ukraine.

"We will press as hard as we can, as quickly as possible, to provide Ukraine what it needs," he said.

Blinken and Austin met with Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Sunday.

Zelenskyy said they discussed the issues of aid to Ukraine and strengthening sanctions against Russia.

At least 2,435 civilians have been killed and 2,946 injured in Ukraine since the war began Feb. 24, according to UN estimates, with the true figure believed to be much higher.

More than 5.2 million Ukrainians have fled to other countries, with over 7.7 million more internally displaced, said the UN refugee agency.

*Ahmet Gencturk contributed to this report.