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 navy support bundle forward of Ukraine’s Independence Day on Saturday, their places of work mentioned.
U.S. Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin, who additionally spoke together with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov on Friday, mentioned on social media the bundle was price $125 million.
Within the name with Zelenskyy, Biden reaffirmed Washington’s help, which the White Home referred to as “unwavering”, for Ukraine in its battle with Russia.
The help bundle consists of air-defense missiles, counter-drone gear, 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 further air protection programs for the dependable safety of cities, communities, and important infrastructure,” Zelenskyy mentioned in an announcement 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. The US has since offered navy help and support to Ukraine whereas additionally imposing sanctions on Moscow over the invasion.
Washington has offered Ukraine with greater than $50 billion price of navy support since 2022.
The battle 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 japanese Ukraine.
Individually on Friday, the USA imposed sanctions on greater than 400 entities and people for supporting Russia’s battle effort in Ukraine, together with Chinese language firms that U.S. officers consider are serving to Moscow skirt Western sanctions and construct up its navy.
