U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a telephone conversation with Ukraine‘s Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba. The two discussed ongoing preparations for Ukraine's spring counter-offensive, including security assistance pledges from allies and partners, the U.S. Department of State said in a statement. “Blinken reaffirmed the ironclad U.S. support. The U.S. remains Ukraine’s trustworthy partner, focused on advancing our victory and securing a just peace”, Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Secretary of State Antony Blinken “vehemently rejected any attempts to cast doubt on Ukraine’s capacity to win on the battlefield, the "The Washington Post" said.

Wagner mercenary group head Yevgeny Prigozhin has claimed that Russian mercenaries now control more than 80% of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. However, senior Ukrainian military officials said their forces were holding firm against fierce attacks.