First change: 04/21/2022 – 22:14 Last change: 04/21/2022 – 22:12
WASHINGTON (AFP) – US President Joe Biden on Thursday announced $800 million in additional military aid to help the Ukrainian army repel Russian troops in the Donbass region, assuring that his counterpart Vladimir Putin will help in occupying the Donbass -Region “will never succeed”. neighboring country.
“We are now at a critical time where they will prepare the ground for the next phase of this war,” Biden said of Russia.
The United States and its allies are acting “as quickly as possible” to continue to supply Ukraine with “the weapons that its armed forces need,” he said.
The Pentagon confirmed that this new aid package includes 72 155mm howitzers with their vehicles, 144,000 rounds of ammunition and 121 Phoenix Ghost tactical drones.
These new types of killer drones “were quickly developed by the US Air Force to respond to specific requests from Ukraine,” a senior Defense Department official said.
The first weapons in this new package will arrive in Ukraine “by the end of the weekend,” said another Pentagon official, who asked not to be identified.
This new $800 million tranche brings aid to Ukraine to more than $4,000 million since Joe Biden began, including $3,400 million since the Russian The invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, the Pentagon said.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy tweeted his thanks to Biden: “This help is needed now more than ever! Save the lives of our fighters, democracy, freedom and will help us restore peace.”
“keep unity”
In addition, Biden considered it “questionable” that Russia controls the Ukrainian city of Mariúpol, as his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin claims. “There is still no evidence that Mariupol fell completely,” he stressed.
The Russian president said on Thursday his troops had “successfully” taken control of Mariupol and ordered to besiege rather than attack the last of the Ukrainian militants holed up in the Azovstal steel complex.
Biden said Putin will “never manage” to occupy Ukraine.
To continue providing military aid to Ukraine, the US President said he would ask Congress for additional funds.
Washington also intends to allocate an additional $500 million in economic aid to allow the Ukrainian government to continue paying the salaries and pensions of its civil servants and guaranteeing public services.
As for economic sanctions, ships linked to Russia will be banned from US ports, announced Joe Biden.
“This means that no ship flying the Russian flag or owned or operated by Russian interests can dock in a US port or have access to our shores,” he said. “None, none.”
Western unity is sending “an unmistakable message” to the Russian president, he added. “He will never manage to control and occupy all of Ukraine. That will not happen.”
He assured US aid would continue over time and urged allies to maintain their support for Kyiv.
“We have the capacity for a long time. The question is whether we will be able to maintain the support of the international community to “put pressure on Putin” and continue to enforce international sanctions against Russia.
“The most important thing is to maintain unity,” he concluded.
© 2022 AFP