Top US and UK diplomats pledge support for Ukraine after Russian strike on civilians

UK’s Foreign Secretary meets his US counterpart in Washington

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, right, and Britain's Foreign Secretary James Cleverly hold a joint press conference at the State Department in Washington. AFP

With Russia readying for another military offensive, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly embarked on a whirlwind two-day tour of North America to shore up diplomatic and military support for Ukraine.

The Foreign Secretary met with his US counterpart Antony Blinken in Washington on Tuesday to discuss ways the two country’s could continue to support Kyiv.

Last week, Britain announced it would send 14 Challenger II battle tanks and 30 AS90 15mm self-propelled guns to Ukraine in a major escalation of support for the besieged country.

When the war began, many thought it inconceivable that the UK would send such military power to Ukraine, but Mr Cleverly said the conflict now demands it.

“Now we see more conflict in open spaces, in open ground in the east and the south, which therefore necessitates more manoeuvrist equipment, the ability to fight and manoeuvre simultaneously,” he said.

Kyiv has repeatedly asked for more weapons and is currently calling for additional aircraft and attack helicopters.

A tank, seen left, fires a round in Soledar, a town in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. Reuters

Tank fire in Soledar, Donetsk. Reuters

Firefighters work to put out a blaze at a Kharkiv fireworks storage site after it was struck by a Russian missile. Getty

Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine's ground forces, visits his troops on the frontline in Soledar, Donetsk. Reuters

A Ukrainian flag attached to a tank flutters in the wind in Bakhmut. Reuters

A specialist from an emergency crew works on a residential building in Donetsk that was damaged in recent shelling. Reuters

A missile fragment left by shelling in Russian-controlled Donetsk. AP

Residents remove debris and carry their belongings out of a building destroyed by recent shelling in Donetsk, Russian-controlled Ukraine. Reuters

Ukrainian forces fire an anti-aircraft weapon as Russia's attack on the frontline city of Bakhmut continues. Reuters

A car drives past a destroyed building purported to have been used as temporary accommodation for Russian soldiers, dozens of whom were killed in a Ukrainian missile strike in Makiivka, Russian-controlled Ukraine. Reuters

The site of a temporary barracks for Russian soldiers in Makiivka, which was destroyed in a Ukrainian missile attack. Reuters

A Ukrainian serviceman carries his injured comrade from the battlefield to a hospital in the Donetsk region. AP

Smoke rises after shelling in Soledar, the site of heavy battles with Russian forces in the Donetsk region. AP

Mr Cleverly’s visit to North America comes days after a Russian strike on a civilian apartment building in Dnipro killed at least 45 people, including six children.

It was one of the deadliest attack on civilians since Russian invaded on February 24, 2022.

Russia appears to be readying for another offensive in hopes of turning the tide in the conflict, which in recent months has swung in Kyiv’s favour.

Mr Blinken said the US and its Nato allies would not let Ukraine's hard-won gains be for naught.

“We're determined together as well with many others to make sure, as I said, the Ukrainians have what they need to recapture, regain what they've lost and to deal with the Russian aggression,” he said.

About 600 Ukrainian troops are currently being trained by US forces at a base in Germany.

The US has committed more than $24 billion in military assistance to Ukraine since the conflict began.

A high-level team of US delegates — including Wendy Sherman, the deputy secretary of state — met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday in Kyiv to reaffirm Washington's “strong and steadfast” commitment.

Everything you need to know about the Challenger 2 tank being sent to Ukraine — video

Mr Blinken and Mr Cleverly also discussed the recent execution of British-Iranian Alireza Akbari by Tehran and the ongoing protests there.

Iran executed Mr Akbari after he was accused of spying on behalf of the UK.

“We'll continue to work with the United Kingdom and our other allies and partners to hold Iran's leadership accountable for these and other abuses,” said Mr Blinken.

There are growing calls in the British Parliament to proscribe Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist entity — something the US has already done.

Bob Blackman, a British Conservative MP, has been spearheading efforts to list the IRGC as a terrorist entity.

In an interview with The National, he said such a move would deal a heavy blow to the group’s financial stability and deprive them of the ability to channel vital cash to their proxies.

Mr Blackman, MP for Harrow East, said it is a question of when, not if, the UK will take such action.

“London is one of the world’s financial capitals of the world and if the government can sequester the group’s assets, it will severely damage it,” he said.

Mr Cleverly, however, refrained from saying what measures the UK was willing to take with regard to the IRGC, saying only that: “We will continue to act in response to their behaviours.”