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 defence and armoured vehicles, said a readout of the call, adding that Biden had briefed Zelensky ‘on his efforts to surge security assistance to Ukraine over the remainder of his term in office.’

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 defence capability, air-to-ground munitions, armoured vehicles, and critical munitions to meet Ukraine’s urgent needs,’ the White House said.

The US would in coming months provide hundreds of air defence missiles, artillery, hundreds of armoured personnel carriers and thousands of additional armoured vehicles, it added.

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.’ 

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 defence package announced today,’ said Zelensky, who is due to meet EU leaders on Thursday.

The US 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 Biden’s whirlwind trip to Germany, where Ukraine will be high on the agenda. 

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.

source: AFP

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