U.S. Weighs Sending Top-Level Official To Meet Zelensky In Kyiv: POLITICO

POLITICO flags discussions within the Biden administration about a potential visit to Kyiv by a top-level U.S. official, citing two anonymous U.S. officials.

• "President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris remain candidates to represent the U.S. in the Ukrainian capital, though it’s far more likely that a Cabinet member like Secretary of State Antony Blinken or Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will go, the officials said."
• Recent weeks saw a number of Western leaders travel to Kyiv as Russian forces backed off the Ukrainian capital and refocused their military offensive into the south and east of the country.
• President Zelensky extended an invitation to President Biden days before the Russian invasion in an apparent bid to discourage Moscow from lauching an attack but the White House's response was far from enthusiastic.
• POLITICO notes that any visit by a senior U.S. official would not be announced in advance owing to security concerns and any decisions could be reversed "due to the fluid nature of the war."