Ukraine says Blinken reaffirmed 'ironclad' US support in phone call

Conversation follows leak of US documents that suggested low confidence in Kyiv's defence against Russia

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken poses with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba during Nato's foreign ministers meeting on April 4. Reuters

Ukraine's Foreign Minister said on Tuesday that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had assured him in a phone call that Washington still backed Kyiv's efforts to win the war with Russia and rejected attempts to cast doubt on its military capacity.

Dmytro Kuleba made the comment after a recent Washington Post report detailed a downbeat assessment by US intelligence officials of Kyiv's potential to retake significant portions of Russian-occupied territory.

“During our call today, @SecBlinken [Mr Blinken] reaffirmed the ironclad US support and vehemently rejected any attempts to cast doubt on Ukraine's capacity to win on the battlefield,” he tweeted.

“The US remains Ukraine's trustworthy partner, focused on advancing our victory and securing a just peace.”

Ukraine is expected to launch an attack on invading Russian troops in the spring — its first major military push of the year.

One of the leaked documents reported by the Post stated US intelligence has serious concerns over the viability of a coming Ukrainian counteroffensive against Russian forces due to issues with training and supplies.

The document is part of a trove of highly sensitive material that has been posted online, sparking a US criminal investigation into a breach the Pentagon says poses a “very serious” risk to national security.

But the top secret document says tough Russian defences and “enduring Ukrainian deficiencies in training and munitions supplies probably will strain progress and exacerbate casualties during the offensive”, the Post reported.

Agencies contributed to this report