Biden and Zelensky during a meeting in the Ukrainian capital. Author: Getty Images
Kyiv, February 20. US President Joseph Biden pledged another $500 million to Ukraine during a blitz and unannounced visit, this Monday here, and after a closed-door interview with that country’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky.
The leaders met at the Mariinsky Palace in that capital, after which they walked a few meters together on the red carpet in front of the presidential headquarters and took pictures, which also recorded their presence on the square near the San Miguel Cathedral, owned by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and in front of the so-called Wall of Remembrance , where Biden laid flowers in memory of the fallen Ukrainian soldiers.
In brief statements after the meeting, Biden listed a long and thick list of weapons that his country and the West had sent to Kiev to counter Russia, not counting, he said, another $500 million he announced then and “tomorrow.” they will be on their way,” he promised.
Despite the new financial package, Biden’s visit is purely political and could be considered Washington’s latest endorsement of Ukraine as a year has passed since the conflict began and the EU is discussing sending more weapons to Kiev and the possibility of a Russian offensive this week is circulating.
It was Russia that denounced that Western pressure and its military support for Ukraine caused the failure of the talks held at the time between Kiev and Moscow and continues to fuel confrontation.in what they called a US and Western strategy to destroy Russia after ignoring Ukraine’s violations of the Minsk agreements for years, which the Kremlin claims is the cause of the conflict in the neighboring country.
After an interview with Biden this Monday, Zelenskiy confirmed that the talks between his team and the US president’s team are a big boost for his country, CNN reported.
“This conversation brings us closer to victory,” Zelensky said, adding that the results of Biden’s stay in his country will certainly be visible and reflected on the battlefield.
The President of Ukraine said that he had discussed the supply of Western weapons with his American counterpart.such more advanced to Ukraine, and qualifyHe called the recent US decision to supply Abrams tanks “a defining moment.”
Biden’s presence in Kyiv was unexpected as it was announced that he would travel to Poland to meet with his counterpart Andrzej Duda on Tuesday, LP said..
Biden is expected to meet on Wednesday with the so-called Bucharest Nine, made up of members of the eastern flank of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO): Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.
The United States alone has provided more than $26.7 billion in military support to Ukraine since the conflict in the Eastern European country began on February 24, 2022, the LP recalled.
For their part, European Union foreign ministers met this Monday to discuss the possibility of the first joint purchase of ammunition for Ukraine, which will add to the millions of dollars and large weapons it has already sent to the country. and adjust the details of what could be his tenth round of sanctions against Russian officials, companies and institutions.
Source: Juventud Rebelde