Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that Russia has “no chance” of winning the war it started in 2022, referring directly to the US aid communicated by his US counterpart, Joe Biden, in Kiev.
“Biden’s promised new arms shipments at this time are an unequivocal sign that Russian attempts to win won’t stand a chance,” Zelensky said.
Alongside Zelensky, at the Mariinsky Palace, Biden justified the surprise visit to Kiev by saying it was “essential that there was no doubt about US support for Ukraine” in the war that will last nearly a year – upcoming Friday, February, 24.
“It’s good to be back in Kiev,” Biden said, noting that this is his eighth trip to Kiev, the first since the start of the war. ‘A lot has changed. And much worse since the invasion,’ he complained.
Biden announced the delivery to Kiev “of other essential equipment, including artillery ammunition, anti-armour systems and airborne surveillance radars”, according to a White House statement.
In addition to this extra aid to Ukraine worth $ 500 million (467 million euros), Joe Biden said he would announce more sanctions against Russia this week.
Biden made that announcement in a statement along with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, at the Mariinsky Palace in Kiev.
The president of the United States explained that the new aid package will include more military equipment, in addition to artillery ammunition, howitzers and Javelin missiles, a portable weapon designed to destroy tanks and other heavy vehicles.
However, Biden has not announced the shipment of other military equipment to Ukraine, such as the F-16 fighter jets Zelensky says he needs to repel Russia’s advance.
“A year later, Kiev is standing. And Ukraine is standing. Democracy lives on,” Biden said.
The American dismissed any doubts about the United States’ “unwavering” support for Ukraine’s democracy, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Zelensky thanked the US leader for being in Kiev and revealed that they were talking “about long-range weapons and weapons that can still be delivered to Ukraine but were not delivered before”, without giving further details.
The White House had not announced Biden’s visit to Kiev for security reasons.
The US president’s visit to Ukraine comes as Biden tries to keep allies united in support of Kiev as both sides prepare to ramp up offensives once spring sets in and the crippling cold ends.
Zelensky has pressured allies to speed up the delivery of promised weapons and asked the West to send fighter jets, which Biden has refused.
The purpose of Biden’s visit to Kiev – and later to Warsaw – is to underline that the United States is ready to assist Ukraine “as long as it takes” to repel Russian forces, despite polls pointing to a decline from public support to direct economic support. and military aid.
Source: DN
