On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited Poland, a strong ally that has taken in millions of migrants and supplied Kyiv with essential weapons.

Russia continued its expensive siege of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, where the U.S. unveiled a new arms package.

After he and U.S. President Joe Biden agreed to engage Beijing to stop Russia’s two-year invasion of Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron was expected in China.

On Tuesday, the U.S. sent Zelenskiy’s administration $2.6 billion in military aid, including three air surveillance radars, anti-tank missiles, and fuel trucks. Since Russia invaded Ukraine, the U.S. has given over $35 billion in military aid.

TASS said that Moscow’s embassy in Washington accused the U.S. of attempting to prolong the conflict.

Ukrainian forces are preparing to launch a counteroffensive in the east against Russian forces, but the timing is unknown.

Bakhmut, a mining city and transport center on the outskirts of the Russian-controlled Donetsk region, was the fighting focus. After months of street combat and bombardments, the city is in ruins.

When Russian soldiers claimed at the weekend to have taken Bakhmut’s city center, Kyiv denied the assertion.

“They infiltrate, shoot, and exhaust us. “Then they examine the situation and can advance a bit more,” said the infantry unit commander, “Bodia.” “told Reuters.

“When they draw closer, we strive to hit them more precisely.”

Ukrainian commanders underlined the significance of retaining Bakhmut and other towns and inflicting casualties before the counteroffensive.

Ukrainian general staff reported: “Enemy attacks on Bakhmut continued. During the previous 24 hours, 20 enemy strikes were repulsed here.”

Reuters could not corroborate combat accounts.

In muddy dugouts at Niu-York, 50 km (30 miles) south of Bakhmut, Ukrainian soldiers recounted frequent Russian assaults.

Zelenskiy met with President Andrzej Duda, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, and Ukrainian refugees in Warsaw.

On Wednesday morning, the Ukrainian leader entered Poland, which has helped persuade Western nations to deliver combat tanks and other weapons to Ukraine.

“It will not be a surprise to anybody that the Ukrainian side would seek Poland and other foreign partners for greater help… but we must be conscious that we as Poland have already truly done a lot,” Polish presidential adviser Marcin Przydacz said.

Przydacz previously stated that Ukraine received its first MiG fighter aircraft cargo.

“MiGs from Poland will greatly boost our defence, help us to make our skies safer, rescue our civilians and limit the harm inflicted by Russian assaults,” Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov stated on Telegram.

The Kremlin said Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko would visit Moscow on Wednesday for two days of meetings with Putin.

One of Putin’s closest friends, Belarus, launched the Russian invasion last February. Putin said last month that Belarus would host tactical nuclear weapons.