Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Joe Biden speak on the sidelines of the NATO 75th anniversary summit in Washington, U.S. July 11, 2024.
Yves Herman | Reuters
US President Joe Biden spoke by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday and announced a new military aid package ahead of Ukraine’s Independence Day on Saturday, their offices said.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who also spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov on Friday, said on social media that the aid package was worth $125 million.
In the call with Zelenskyy, Biden reaffirmed Washington’s support, which the White House called “unwavering,” for Ukraine in its fight with Russia.
The White House said in a statement that the aid package includes air defense missiles, anti-drone equipment, anti-armor missiles and ammunition.
These calls come ahead of Ukraine’s independence day.
“Ukraine urgently needs arms supplies from the announced packages, in particular additional air defense systems to reliably protect cities, communities and critical infrastructure,” Zelenskyy said in a statement released by his office after the call.
After seizing Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022. Since then, the United States has provided military support and aid to Ukraine while imposing sanctions on Moscow over the invasion.
Washington has provided Ukraine with more than $50 billion in military aid since 2022.
The fighting escalated on August 6 when Ukraine sent thousands of troops across the border into Russia’s western Kursk region. Since then, Kyiv has claimed a series of battlefield successes, but Russian forces continue to advance in eastern Ukraine.
On Friday alone, the United States imposed sanctions on more than 400 organizations and individuals for supporting Russia’s war effort in Ukraine, including Chinese companies that U.S. officials believe are helping Moscow evade Western sanctions and build up its military.
