Antony Blinken is on a trip to Kyiv, where he visited a children's hospital and met with U.S. Embassy staff. The U.S. announced nearly $3 billion in aid and weapons for Ukraine and other countries.
Progress has been slow but Ukrainian military officers say U.S.-supplied rockets and training are making a difference from when NPR visited in the spring.
Russia invaded Ukraine six months ago. In that time, thousands of people have been killed, cities destroyed, millions of people displaced and the Ukrainian economy has been battered.
Ukraine says it urgently needs the heavy artillery to counter Russia on the battlefield. Also, President Zelenskyy is looking for additional support as the leaders of Germany, France and Italy visit.