In his daily video message, Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy thanked both US President Joe Biden and the American people for the help that Congress will support “we hope quickly.” Biden previously announced in Washington that he would ask Congress to approve an additional $33 billion (€31.4 billion) for Ukraine. Of that total, 20 billion should be used for military aid, about 8.5 billion for economic aid. “We have to do this,” Biden said at the White House.
Since the start of the war in late February, the United States has pledged or delivered weapons and ammunition worth more than US$3.7 billion (about €3.5 billion) to the former Soviet republic. The US Congress passed a budget in March that earmarked $13.6 billion in humanitarian, economic and military aid through the end of September.
Historic regulations in the US for weapons deliveries
Based on a World War II regulation, the US wants to facilitate the delivery of weapons to Ukraine and other Eastern European countries. After the Senate, the House of Representatives also passed a corresponding bill on Thursday. The president is temporarily authorized until 2023 to loan or lease military equipment to Ukraine and other Eastern European countries affected by the Russian war of aggression.
The US Congress passed a similar loan and lease law in 1941, during World War II: this allowed the United States to quickly and in large quantities supply armaments to the Allies fighting the National Socialists. Great Britain and the Soviet Union in particular benefited from this at the time.
Missiles in Kiev during Guterres visit
Russian troops fired several rockets into the Ukrainian capital during UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ visit to Kiev. Ten people died or were injured. This week, Russian military leaders threatened to attack Ukraine’s capital despite the presence of foreign politicians.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mikhail Podoliak recently said that Guterres was sitting in the Kremlin and that “today there are explosions just a kilometer away from him. Is that a greeting from Moscow?” Guterres later told the British broadcaster BBC: “I was shocked to hear that two rockets exploded in the town where I am staying.”
Another presidential adviser criticized the rocket attacks as “the dumbest variant ever”. Russia “shot Guterres in the back” with this attack, said Olexy Arestovych.
Russian attacks hit hospital in Mariupol
During a Russian attack on the last defenders of Mariupol, who were entrenched in the Azovstal steelworks, the field hospital installed there came under heavy fire. According to a report in Ukrajinska Pravda, at least one soldier was killed and around 100 patients suffered further injuries. According to defenders, the hospital, where about 500 wounded and doctors were, was specifically attacked. The information could not be independently verified.
The last defenders of the port city of Mariupol and numerous civilians hid in the Azovstal factory. Despite repeated requests from the Russian side, they refuse to surrender. More recently, UN Secretary-General Guterres in Moscow and Kiev advocated opening a humanitarian corridor for civilians.
The southern Ukrainian port city of Odessa was also hit by rockets late on Thursday. Air defense shot down three Russian missiles, said local military representative Maxim Marchenko. “We have the sky under control.” A Russian reconnaissance drone had already been destroyed.
Scholz: Putin’s War Is Directed Against the Very Essence of Democracy
According to Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the war initiated by Russian President Vladimir Putin is not only directed against Ukraine, but also against the very essence of democracy. Putin is not just pursuing the goal of destroying Ukraine, the SPD politician wrote in a guest article for “Welt.” “His war is directed against everything that constitutes democracy: liberty, equality before the law, self-determination, human dignity.” shows what we, as democracies, connect: the conviction that the law must set limits to power.
This is going to be important today
On Friday, the Bundestag will address the Armed Forces Commissioner Eva Högl’s annual report on the situation in the Armed Forces. In the document for 2021, the SPD politician lists numerous deficits in equipment and, at the same time, welcomes the federal government’s plan to create a special fund of 100 billion euros for a fundamental modernization of the Bundeswehr.
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