President Joe Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the phone on Wednesday, their first contact since Biden stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in office.”
According to the White House, the two men spoke for about an hour on a day when Zelensky repeated his plea for formidable defensive weaponry.
According to a White House readout, the two men spoke ‘about the ongoing work by the United States and its allies and partners to deliver military, economic, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and to impose severe costs on Russia for its brutal aggression against Ukraine.’
‘The leaders discussed how the United States is working around the clock to fulfill the main security assistance requests by Ukraine,’ it said – amid domestic political pressure for Biden to do even more.
They also spoke about ‘the critical effects those weapons have had on the conflict, and continued efforts by the United States with allies and partners to identify additional capabilities to help the Ukrainian military defend its country.’
Biden told his counterpart that the US would contribute $500 million in direct budgetary aid, which looks to be in addition to the $1 million in humanitarian relief that was just announced, as well as a $800 million batch of military aid.
‘President Zelenskyy updated President Biden on the status of Ukraine’s negotiations with Russia,’ it said.
During his travels to Belgium and Poland, Biden met with Ukraine’s military and foreign affairs ministers in Warsaw on Saturday.
He wrapped off his tour with a speech in which he slammed Putin and urged friends to back Ukraine.
However, Zelensky and his top advisers have continued to press the US and its allies to do more, including calling for the ‘closing of the skies’ over Ukraine and the deployment of fighter fighters. In a speech to NATO allies, Zelensky pleaded with them to save just 1% of their tanks and planes.
While Biden, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken were meeting with Zelensky’s team, a top aide demanded that NATO nations arming Ukraine show greater “bravery.”
‘The [NATO] Alliance is taking decisions as if there [were] no war,’ Zelensky chief of staff Andriy Yermak told Atlantic Council over the weekend.
On Wednesday, Zelensky spoke to the Norwegian parliament, urging allies to send additional weapons and defences. Harpoon rockets, anti-ship missiles, and air defences were among the weapons he requested.
‘All weapons you can help us with will be used only to protect our freedom, your freedom,’ he said. Harpoon rockets are long distance anti-ship missiles.
