The president of United StatesJoe Biden and his Ukrainian peer, Volodymyr Zelensky, discussed “additional” military capabilities needed to help the Ukrainian armyduring a phone call this Wednesday, reported the White House.
(Read: Russian bombing continues despite expectations of a ceasefire in Ukraine)
“The leaders discussed (…) the continued efforts of the United States and its partners and allies to identify additional capabilities to help the Ukrainian military defend its country”said the statement after a conversation that lasted 55 minutes.
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We talked about targeted defensive support, a new enhanced sanctions package, and macro-financial and humanitarian aid.
The White House added that Biden had underscored the “decisive” impact of American-supplied weapons on the course of the conflict. In addition, Biden told Zelensky that the United States will provide Ukraine with some $500 million in direct aid as part of kyiv’s fight against the invading Russian forces.
The Ukrainian head of state, for his part, wrote on Twitter that “he shared his analysis of the situation on the battlefield and at the negotiating table”, the day after a new session of talks between kyiv and Moscow.
Pentagon officials assured that all promised US weapons in mid-March by Biden, including Switchblade “suicide” drones and spare parts for Russian-made S-300 anti-aircraft batteries they were not yet delivered to kyiv.
“We have promised 100 Switchblade drones (…), they are in the batch that is being delivered,” the Pentagon’s chief of international affairs, Celeste Wallander, said during a parliamentary hearing on Wednesday.
Regarding the S-300, the official specified that “we focused on countries that had missiles or spare parts” for those systems that were ready to donate them to the Ukrainian forces.
“The shipment is ongoing,” Wallander said, adding that negotiations with Slovakia were continuing to modernize its defenses with the American Patriot system. Russia, which launched its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, has multiplied contradictory signals in recent days about its military and diplomatic intentions.
The Kremlin estimated on Wednesday that there had been no “breakthrough” in talks with Ukraine in Istanbul, dampening hopes raised by much more positive statements on Tuesday from Russian officials.
Ukrainian authorities on Wednesday accused Russia of bombing a Red Cross center in Mariupol and the city of Chernigov.
INTERNATIONAL WRITING
*With information from AFP
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