Photo: Collected
US President Joe Biden spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday and announced a new round of military aid for Kyiv that the Pentagon valued at $125 million.
The call between the two leaders came ahead of Ukraine's independence day, and on the same day that Washington announced sweeping sanctions against hundreds of individuals and companies tied to Russia's invasion of the country.
"I am proud we will announce a new package of military aid for Ukraine today," Biden said in a statement.
"The package includes air defense missiles to protect Ukraine's critical infrastructure; counter-drone equipment and anti-armor missiles to defend against Russia's evolving tactics on the battlefield; and ammunition for frontline soldiers and the mobile rocket systems that protect them," he said.
"Russia will not prevail in this conflict. The independent people of Ukraine will prevail -- and the United States, our allies, and our partners, will continue to stand with them every step of the way," Biden added.
The US Defense Department later said the package is worth $125 million and consists of items drawn from American stocks, providing Kyiv with "additional capabilities to meet its most urgent needs."
Zelensky praised the military aid announcement, saying there is an especially urgent requirement for air defenses.
"I welcomed the new US military aid package and emphasized that Ukraine urgently requires the delivery of weapons from the announced packages, particularly additional air defense systems, to reliably protect our cities, communities and critical infrastructure," he said in a post on X.
The United States has been a key military backer of Ukraine, committing more than $55 billion in weapons, ammunition and other security aid since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
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