President Joe Biden on Wednesday detailed how the United States will spend $800 million in military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine approved this week and vowed to “do more in the coming days and weeks” as the country battles Russian invaders.
The funds will go to drones, 800 anti-aircraft systems, 9,000 anti-tank systems, 7,000 rifle machine guns, as well as grenade launchers and shotguns.
The U.S., with the new aid, is set to help care for more than 3 million war-displaced Ukrainians and bolster the country’s defenses as Russian forces attempt to encircle the capital, Kyiv.
“This new package alone will provide unprecedented assistance to Ukraine,” Biden said at the White House hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked the US Congress for more help to repel the invasion.
“God protect the Ukrainians who are defending their country there.”
Biden condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin for the “horrifying devastation” of Ukraine and cited reports that Russian military forces are holding hundreds of doctors and patients hostage at a hospital in Mariupol.
“These atrocities outrage the whole world,” the president said.
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“This could be a long and difficult battle as the American people stand by us unwaveringly as the people of Ukraine in the face of Putin’s immoral and unethical attacks on civilians,” Biden said. “We are united in our disgust for Putin’s depraved onslaught.”
Biden on Tuesday signed a $1.5 trillion government spending package that included money for both humanitarian and military aid to a country that has been fighting a Russian invasion for almost three weeks.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the $800 million allocated to Ukraine represents more than $2 billion in security provided to that country since the Biden administration came to power in January 2021.
Biden helped lead international efforts to contain the Russian economy in response to the attack on Ukraine. He said he opposed sending troops or offensive weapons to Ukraine because it could turn the war into a global firefight.
During his speech on Wednesday, Biden praised Zelensky, saying: “He speaks for a people who have demonstrated outstanding courage and strength in the face of brutal aggression, courage and strength that inspire not only your Ukrainians, but the entire world.”
In a virtual address to Congress from Kyiv, Zelensky asked the United States to establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine, impose sanctions on Russian politicians and stop business operations in Russia.
However, the US and its NATO allies are resisting calls for a no-fly zone because it could lead to direct conflict with Russian forces.
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