The US will send an additional $800 million in military aid to Ukraine since Mr Biden took office more than a year ago, adding to the total of $2 billion in such aid sent to Kyiv.
The US will send an additional $800 million in military aid to Ukraine since Mr Biden took office more than a year ago, adding to the total of $2 billion in such aid sent to Kyiv.
President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that Ukraine is sending more anti-aircraft, anti-armor weapons and drones to Ukraine to aid in its defense against Russia, in a move by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the US and other Western countries. Announced help after being urged to do more. Emotional speech for Congress.
The president’s remarks came as he formally announced that his administration was sending an additional $800 million in military aid to Ukraine, the total of such aid sent to Kyiv since Biden took office more than a year ago. is $2 billion.
Last week alone, about $ 1 billion in aid has been sent. Mr Biden said the new aid included 800 Stinger anti-aircraft systems, 100 grenade launchers, 20 million rounds of small arms ammunition and grenade launcher and mortar rounds, and an unspecified number of drones.
“We are going to give Ukraine the weapons to fight and defend itself in all the difficult days ahead,” Mr Biden said.
Mr Biden spoke hours later Zelensky gave a video address to members of the US Congress In which he has made a passionate request for America and the West to provide more help than world leaders can to save their young democracy.
Mr. Zelensky on Wednesday called on the US Congress to do more to help Ukraine’s fight against Russia, invoking the memory of the Pearl Harbor and September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, but he rejected that no-fly zone. which he sought to “close”. “Aakash” cannot lead to air strikes on their country.
Livestreamed at the Capitol complex, Mr Zelensky said the US should ban Russian lawmakers and stop imports. But instead of an enforced no-fly zone that the White House has opposed, it instead sought other military aid to deter a Russian attack.
Mr Biden has barred providing no-fly zones or the transfer of military jets from neighboring Poland as the US seeks to avoid a direct confrontation with nuclear-armed Russia.
According to a separate person familiar with the matter, who was not authorized to speak publicly, the White House is giving Ukraine access to US-made Switchblade drones, which can fly and attack Russian targets. . It was not immediately clear whether Mr Biden said Switchblades would be included in the new drones to be delivered in Ukraine.
Mr Biden said he listened to Mr Zelensky’s “important” speech, but did not directly address Ukraine’s criticism that the US and the West could do more. The US president said Mr Zelensky’s speech showed Ukraine’s “courage and strength” throughout the crisis.
“We are united in our hatred of Putin’s corrupt attack and we will continue to have his back as he fights for his freedom, his democracy, his existence.”
Protesters held a large sign outside the Capitol that lawmakers saw on their way back to their offices. “No Fly Zone = World War 3.”
Ukraine’s president is no stranger to Congress, which has played a central role in the first impeachment of Donald Trump. As president, Trump was accused of withdrawing security aid to Ukraine as he pressured Mr Zelensky to dig up dirt on political rival Biden. Mr. Zelensky spoke from a giant screen on Wednesday to many of the same Republican lawmakers who refused to impeach or convict Trump but are among the bipartisan turfs in Congress who are now seeking military aid to Ukraine. are struggling.
He thanked the American people, saying Ukraine was grateful for the support, even as he urged Biden to do more.
“You are the leader of the nation. I wish you to be the leader of the world,” he said. “To be a leader of the world means to be a leader of peace.”
Biden has insisted there will be no US forces on the ground in Ukraine and has opposed Mr Zelensky’s relentless pleas for warplanes, potentially escalating into a direct confrontation with nuclear-armed Russia.
“The direct conflict between NATO and Russia is World War III,” Biden has said.
Zelensky appeared to accept the political reality.
“Is it too much to ask for a no-fly zone over Ukraine?” He asked, answering his own question. “If that’s too much to ask, we offer an alternative,” he said, calling for weapons systems that would help fight Russian planes.
Already the Biden administration has supplied Ukraine with more than 600 Stinger missiles, 2,600 Javelin anti-armor systems, unmanned aerial system tracking radars, grenade launchers, 200 shotguns, 200 machine guns and about 40 million rounds of small arms ammunition. Helicopter, patrol has been sent. The boat, satellite imagery and body armor, helmets and other tactical gear, the US official said.
Congress has already approved $13.6 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine, and the newly announced security aid will come from that allocation, part of a broader bill that Biden signed into law on Tuesday.