evidence: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a surprise trip to Kyiv on Tuesday, meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky as Russian forces make significant gains on the battlefield in Ukraine. [...] Blinken also used his visit to highlight the need for Ukraine to continue making democratic reforms to maintain its global coalition of support. [...] Just days before Blinken’s arrival, Ukraine’s top general said the situation in the northeastern Kharkiv region has "significantly worsened" after Russia claimed to have captured four more villages as it expanded its surprise cross-border offensive.