Ukraine:

US President Joe Biden announced a $425 million arms package for Kyiv Wednesday in a call with President Volodymyr Zelensky, ahead of a farewell visit to Berlin to discuss Ukraine, the White House said.

The package includes air defense and armored vehicles, said a readout of the call, adding that President Biden had briefed Mr Zelensky “on his efforts to surge security assistance to Ukraine over the remainder of his term in office.”

Mr Biden would also hold a virtual meeting of Ukraine’s allies in November, it added, as he tries to shore up international support for Kyiv before a possible return of Donald Trump to the White House in January 2025.

There was no mention, however, of any decision on whether to allow Ukraine to fire Western-made long-range missiles deep into Russia, a move Biden has been reluctant to green-light so far.

The $425 million US package includes “additional air defense capability, air-to-ground munitions, armored vehicles, and critical munitions to meet Ukraine’s urgent needs,” the White House said.

The United States would in coming months provide hundreds of air defense missiles, artillery, hundreds of armored personnel carriers and thousands of additional armored vehicles, it added.

Mr Zelensky meanwhile “updated President Biden on his plan to achieve victory over Russia, and the two leaders tasked their teams to engage in further consultations on next steps.”

Mr Zelensky said on X that he had spoken with Biden and thanked him for the package, which included “long range weapons.”

“I am grateful to President Biden, both parties in Congress, and the American people for the $425 million defense package announced today,” said Ukraine President, who is due to meet EU leaders on Thursday.

The United States has provided around $175 billion in both military and economic assistance to Ukraine during the war, despite frequent opposition from Republicans.

The call came on the eve of Mr Biden’s whirlwind trip to Germany, where Ukraine will be high on the agenda.

Mr Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz could be joined for talks by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, media reports said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Washington:

President Joe Biden called key allies on Tuesday to “coordinate” support for Ukraine, the White House said, amid concerns in Western capitals after Republican hardliners derailed US funding for Kyiv.

“President Biden convened a call this morning with allies and partners to coordinate our ongoing support for Ukraine,” the White House said in a statement, adding that it would give details of the call later.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. File
| Photo Credit: AFP

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected on Capitol Hill and at the White House next week as he visits the U.S. during the United Nations General Assembly.

Mr. Zelensky’s trip comes as Congress is debating providing as much as $21 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine as it fights the Russian invasion.

An administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive visit, said Mr. Zelensky will meet with President Joe Biden at the White House next Thursday. The trip to the Capitol was confirmed by two congressional aides granted anonymity to discuss the plans.

The Ukrainian President made a wartime visit to Washington in December 2022 and delivered an impassioned address to a joint meeting of Congress.

Also Read | Beyond weapons: On Ukraine President Zelensky’s visit to Washington

At the time Mr. Zelensky thanked Americans for helping to fund the war effort and told lawmakers the money is “not charity,” but an “investment” in global security and democracy.

Details of Mr. Zelensky’s visit next week were not yet being made public.

Congress is increasingly divided over providing additional funding for Ukraine. Mr. Biden has sought a package of $13 billion in additional military aid for Ukraine and $8 billion for humanitarian support.

But some conservative Republican lawmakers have been pushing for broad federal spending cuts and some are specifically looking to stop money to Ukraine as Congress works to pass its annual appropriations bills before a Sept. 30 deadline to keep the U.S. government running.