Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images
President Joe Biden announced a new $325 million aid package for Ukraine on Thursday during Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky’s visit to Washington, D.C.
Biden made this announcement at the beginning of a meeting at the White House between members of his government and the Ukrainian government, led by President Volodimir Zelensky.
The latest aid package will focus on strengthening Ukraine’s air defense capabilities, Biden said. “Today I approved the next tranche of US security assistance to Ukraine, which includes more artillery, more ammunition, more anti-tank weapons, and next week the first US Abrams tanks will be delivered to Ukraine.”
The new aid package does not include the ATACMS long-range missiles, which kyiv has been insistently demanding for months and which Washington has refused to provide for fear of provoking an escalation of war with Russia.
However, The package does contain weapons to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses against Russian attacks, both currently and during the upcoming winter season, when Russia could again attack critical infrastructure such as the electricity supply necessary to keep homes heated.
Specifically, it will include another HAWK air defense battery, which can shoot down aircraft, as well as systems capable of intercepting missiles in order to protect the civilian population.
The United States will also send artillery munitions and cluster bombs to Ukraine, as Biden announced in July despite criticism from organizations such as Human Rights Watch (HWR), which are concerned about the impact of this weaponry on the civilian population.
Zelensky’s visit to the US
In addition to meeting with Biden, Zelensky had a closed-door meeting Thursday afternoon with US senators, many of whom publicly praised the wartime leader afterwards.
Zelensky wrote in a post on X on Thursday, thanking everyone in the United States for their support.
Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell also took to X to share a photo with Zelensky, writing that “American support for Ukraine is not charity. “It is in our own direct interest.”
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Thursday that he rejected the Ukrainian president’s request to deliver a joint address to Congress.
“Zelensky asked for a joint session, we simply didn’t have time. He has already granted a joint session,” McCarthy told reporters Thursday.
A call that shows the horrors of war
Zelensky concluded his visit to Washington with an emotional speech aimed at bringing the harsh reality of war to the American people. and highlight the values that unite the two nations, in an attempt to maintain their support against Russia.
During his speech, Zelensky, known for his communication skills, introduced several protagonists of the war, from Yvonne, a 17-year-old Ukrainian boy who lost a leg in a Russian attack, to Sasha, a 10-year-old girl who suffered serious injuries. in the hands during an attack by Russian soldiers in Bucha.
“There is not a soul in Ukraine who does not feel gratitude to you, America. I feel gratitude for you, the people who help us not because you have to, but because your heart does not allow you to act otherwise,” Zelensky said.
The speech, which took place at the emblematic National Archives, marked the end of Zelensky’s visit to Washington, from where he will go to Ottawa, according to the Ukrainian embassy in the United States.
With information from EFE
Keep reading:
– Biden received Zelensky at the White House as more aid is needed for the war in Ukraine
– Zelensky warns the world about Russia at the UN: “Evil cannot be trusted”
– How Ukraine is trying to recover Crimea, “the Russian stronghold”