Zelensky meets with Blinken and Austin in Kyiv: report

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reportedly met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Sunday, marking the highest-level visit to Kyiv since the start of the Russian invasion.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych confirmed the meeting during a YouTube Livestream.

"Yes, they're meeting with the president," said Arestovych, according to the Associated Press reported. "Let's hope something will be decided on further help." 

The talks come as Zelensky is pressing the United States to provide more weapons and security promises and Russia is stepping up its campaign in eastern Ukraine's Donbas region.

"You can't come to us empty-handed today, and we are expecting not just presents or some kind of cakes, we are expecting specific things and specific weapons," Zelensky said before the reported meeting.

Zelensky spoke about hope earlier on Sunday during his Easter address.

"This great holiday gives us hope and an unwavering belief that light will defeat darkness, good will defeat evil, life will defeat death, and therefore Ukraine is certain to triumph," he said.