Despite the setbacks, Blinken also said he believes Ukraine can "hold the line in the east," as Russian troops launched a new offensive operation targeting Kharkiv Oblast earlier on May 10. "I'm convinced Ukraine can effectively hold the line in the east," Blinken said during a televised interview. "It can continue to press the advantages achieved for itself in the Black Sea, where it's getting as much out through the Black Sea, feeding the world as it did before the Russian re-invasion of Ukraine, as well as holding Russian forces at risk, including in Crimea to make it more difficult for them to continue this aggression.""We've been providing the systems to do that, but it's a challenging moment," he added. After six months of political infighting and delays, the U.S.