The President of the United States on Thursday congratulated his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, on Ukraine’s Independence Day, renewing his commitment to continue supporting the country, the White House said in a statement.
In the phone call, Joe Biden reiterated his commitment to the country, 18 months after the start of the Russian invasion, and promised to continue supporting Kiev “as long as it is necessary.”
The leaders also discussed training Ukrainian soldiers in the US-made F-16 fighter-bomber operation, which the Pentagon says will begin in October at the Morris National Guard Base in Tucson, Arizona.
Before that, in September, Ukrainian pilots will receive the necessary English-language training to operate the planes, Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder said at a news conference on Thursday.
Several European countries, led by Denmark and the Netherlands, have promised to send these fighters to Ukraine, which has been requesting them since the beginning of the war.
The United States also announced sanctions on Thursday against 11 Russians and two re-education centers allegedly involved in the forcible transfer of thousands of Ukrainian children, accusing Moscow of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield announced the move at a US-hosted United Nations Security Council meeting on Ukraine’s Independence Day to draw attention to the removal or deportation of children as young as four months of age, not only for Russia, but also for ally Belarus and the Moscow-occupied territories in eastern Ukraine.
Source: TSF
