US top diplomat Blinken makes surprise visit to Kyiv

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has made an unannounced visit to Kyiv where he is expected to announce a new aid package worth more than $1 billion (€930 million).

The Reuters news agency cited a senior State Department official as saying Blinken's visit to Ukraine would last two days, making it the first overnight trip since Russia's invasion in February 2022.

He previously visited Ukraine in April 2022 — together with Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin — and September 2022.

There had been no mention of the trip from his department, and it comes as Ukraine's Parliament gets set to approve the appointment of a new defense minister.