“On May 14-15, the US Secretary of State visited Ukraine,” the diplomat noted.

“It is obvious that the state of affairs on the frontline and the military failures of the Ukrainian army are triggering more and more serious alarm in the Biden administration.”

The spokeswoman stated that the Washington Post said that Blinken arrived at a critical moment for Kiev, calling on it to hold on for as long as possible.

“He sang a song, ate some pizza and left.”

During the visit, Blinken vowed more help for Ukraine from the West and asserted that “the coming weeks and months will demand a great deal of Ukrainians”. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the Kremlin was aware of the visit and the “edginess now felt not only in Kiev itself but also in European capitals”.

On Wednesday, Blinken announced $2bn in additional military aid for Ukraine as he visits the country at a crucial phase in the war, with Russia striking deeper into Ukrainian territory and claiming to have seized three more settlements.

Speaking at a joint news conference in Kyiv alongside Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Wednesday, Blinken said the support, which comes on top of $61bn in US support approved by Congress last month, would be aimed at investing in Ukraine’s industrial base.

He announced that the United States and Ukraine had already done the “heavy lifting” on a bilateral security agreement, which could be signed within weeks. He said the US was rushing ammunition, armoured vehicles, missiles and air defences to Ukraine in order to ensure their speedy delivery to the front line.

His remarks came as Ukrainian forces are being stretched across the long front line, struggling to fend off a renewed Russian offensive. On Wednesday, Russia’s Ministry of Defence said Russian forces had taken control of the settlements of Hlyboke and Lukyantsi in the northeastern Kharkiv region, and Robotyne in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, the latest in a run of incremental gains that have alarmed Kyiv.

Ukraine announced that it had pulled back some troops in the Kharkiv region, where Russian troops launched a surprise offensive earlier this month, pounding settlements along the border.

“In certain spots in Lukyantsi and Vovchansk areas, due to the fire impact and assault actions of the enemy, manoeuvres were carried out in order to save the lives of our soldiers, units were removed to advantageous positions,” a military spokesman noted on state television.

Ukrainian officials have said that more than 30,000 Russian forces have been deployed to the northeastern region. Emergency services have evacuated about 8,000 people, most of them women, elderly people, people with reduced mobility, and people with disabilities and children.

As Russia intensifies its attacks, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s press secretary announced the leader had postponed all upcoming foreign visits. The president had earlier cancelled a visit to Spain and Portugal.

“Not only according to the results of last year … but starting from this year, our troops in all directions are constantly improving their position every day,” the president said at a meeting with commanders of military districts on Wednesday.

All tasks assigned by the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff are completed, Putin added.

The president also thanked former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu for his work on building new armed forces.

The more effective the work at the front line is, the greater the chances of resolving the situation in Ukraine peacefully are, Putin continued.

“When we tried to peacefully resolve this conflict [in Ukraine], unfortunately nothing worked out … The more effectively you work on the line of contact, the more chances we have to resolve this issue peacefully.”

Putin introduced new Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov to the commanders of military districts of the country.

“Andrei Belousov has been appointed the new Minister of Defense,” Putin noted.

Belousov understands how to integrate the military economy into the general economy of the country, this is extremely important, Putin explained.

“This is due, to the fact that spending on the military is growing.”

The president also announced russia’s total defense and security spending will amount to about 8.7% of the GDP in 2024.

“In 2024, this year, our total defense and security spending will amount to about 8.7%, maybe a little more.”

Increased defense and security spending gives an impetus to the development of industries in the country, the president said.

“When increasing spending on defense and security, we proceed from the fact that all social obligations must be fulfilled to the citizens. Our national development goals must be achieved and must be achieved in all areas, including social development,” Putin continued, adding it is necessary to meet the needs of the Russian armed forces during the special military operation.

“We, all together, need to ensure the needs of the Russian armed forces to work effectively in the combat zone as part of the special military operation,” Putin said, adding that it is necessary to avoid distortions in economy and industry.

The president also said that the military needs to have more effective and accurate arms as it lowers casualties, which is a key issue for Russia.

“Without any exaggeration, we should be ready that these enterprises [defense industry], … should take additional steps in this direction at any moment, they should be ready to make even greater transition to the production of civilian products [as part of the diversification,” Putin added.