Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Joe Biden communicate on the sidelines of the NATO’s seventy fifth anniversary summit in Washington, U.S. July 11, 2024.
Yves Herman | Reuters
U.S. President Joe Biden spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday and introduced a brand new army assist bundle forward of Ukraine’s Independence Day on Saturday, their places of work mentioned.
U.S. Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin, who additionally spoke along with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov on Friday, mentioned on social media the bundle was value $125 million.
Within the name with Zelenskyy, Biden reaffirmed Washington’s assist, which the White Home known as “unwavering”, for Ukraine in its warfare with Russia.
The help bundle consists of air-defense missiles, counter-drone tools, anti-armor missiles and ammunition, the White Home mentioned in its assertion.
The calls got here forward of Ukraine’s independence day.
“Ukraine critically wants the availability of weapons from the introduced packages, notably extra air protection techniques for the dependable safety of cities, communities, and significant infrastructure,” Zelenskyy mentioned in a press release after name launched by his workplace.
After seizing Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022. America has since offered army help and assist to Ukraine whereas additionally imposing sanctions on Moscow over the invasion.
Washington has offered Ukraine with greater than $50 billion value of army assist since 2022.
The warfare escalated on Aug. 6 when Ukraine despatched 1000’s of troopers over the border into Russia’s western Kursk area. Kyiv has since introduced a string of battlefield successes, however Russian forces proceed to steadily inch ahead in jap Ukraine.
Individually on Friday, america imposed sanctions on greater than 400 entities and people for supporting Russia’s warfare effort in Ukraine, together with Chinese language firms that U.S. officers imagine are serving to Moscow skirt Western sanctions and construct up its army.
