Press
Kiev is receiving new military aid from the USA. This primarily involves new ammunition for air defense.
Kiev/Washington – The Ukrainian military is receiving urgently needed supplies. The USA will soon provide Ukraine with additional military aid amounting to around 2.3 billion US dollars (around 2.14 billion euros) to fend off the Russian war of aggression. This was announced by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin during a visit by his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umjerow to Washington.
The package approved by US President Joe Biden includes “additional anti-aircraft missiles, anti-tank weapons and other important munitions from US stocks,” Austin explained. A “reordering of some foreign military supplies” will also enable the US to provide munitions for Patriot and other air defense systems “in an accelerated timeframe.”
The aid is one of several tranches already made available since the US Congress released new funds totalling around 61 billion US dollars (56.2 billion euros) for Kiev at the end of April. Since the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine more than two years ago, the US has already provided Kiev with military aid totalling more than 50 billion dollars, according to the Pentagon.
Ukraine has been able to stabilize the situation on the approximately 1,000-kilometer front line following the resumption of US arms deliveries despite ongoing Russian pressure.
The opening of the new front in the Kharkiv region by the Russian side only caused the Ukrainian side to be in trouble for a short time. According to media reports, artillery fire is now only three Russian shells for every Ukrainian shell, instead of five or more.
![Ukraine War - Kharkiv](https://www.merkur.de/assets/images/34/982/34982418-ukraine-krieg-charkiw-OCBG.jpg)
Ukraine wants electricity from abroad
In view of the constant Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, Kiev is preparing to import electricity from the EU. Following a report by Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal on the current situation of energy supplies in the country, a decision on electricity imports is now necessary, said President Volodymyr Zelensky in his evening video message.
“We are now fully committed to the import volume agreed with the EU, and I am grateful to all our neighbors for this help,” said Zelensky. “We are doing everything we can to increase imports, and this should be a European solution.” His government is preparing the relevant agreements.
Zelensky called on the Energy Ministry to inform the population daily about the status of work in the energy sector, the existing deficits and the country’s measures to eliminate these deficits.
In recent months, the Russian military has begun to deliberately attack and destroy Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The aim of these attacks is also to wear down the population’s will to resist.
![Belarus' President Lukashenko](https://www.merkur.de/assets/images/34/982/34982419-belarus-praesident-lukaschenko-PhBG.jpg)
Warning words from Minsk
In a speech on the upcoming Republic Day on June 3 in Minsk, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said that NATO does not want to end the war in neighboring Ukraine and also intends to drag Belarus into it. “I guarantee you that we will not allow clashes on the border with Ukraine, there will be no clashes.”
At the same time, Lukashenko warned Kiev to refrain from provocations at the border. “I would like to ask the Ukrainians not to play with fire,” Lukashenko said. Minsk will not allow any aggravation or escalation. Just a few days ago, Belarus reinforced its border troops at the border with Ukraine because of alleged provocations.
Kiev has rejected this and declared that Ukraine is merely fortifying defensive positions on the border. At the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine over two years ago, Belarus allowed Russian troops to operate from its territory. dpa
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