Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Joe Biden speak on the sidelines of the NATO 75th Anniversary Summit in Washington, U.S., July 11, 2024.
Yves Herman | Reuters
U.S. President Joe Biden spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday and announced a new military aid package ahead of Ukraine’s Independence Day on Saturday, their offices said.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who also spoke with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov on Friday, said on social media that the program was worth $125 million.
In a call with Zelensky, Biden reiterated Washington’s support for Ukraine’s war with Russia, which the White House called “unwavering.”
The White House said in a statement that the aid package includes anti-aircraft missiles, anti-drone equipment, anti-armor missiles and ammunition.
The calls came ahead of Ukraine’s Independence Day.
“Ukraine urgently needs weapons from the announced package, especially additional air defense systems, to reliably protect cities, communities and critical infrastructure,” Zelensky said in a statement after his office released the call.
After seizing Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022.
Since 2022, Washington has provided military assistance worth more than $50 billion to Ukraine.
On August 6, Ukraine sent thousands of soldiers across the border into the Kursk region in western Russia, escalating the war. Since then, Kiev has claimed a series of battlefield victories, but Russian forces have continued to advance steadily in eastern Ukraine.
Separately, the United States on Friday imposed sanctions on more than 400 entities and individuals supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine, including Chinese companies that U.S. officials believe are helping Moscow circumvent Western sanctions and build up its military.
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