HomeUSABiden to Convene Ukraine Allies in Germany, Surge Military Aid

Biden to Convene Ukraine Allies in Germany, Surge Military Aid

Published on

Weekly Newsletter

To be updated with all the latest news, offers and special announcements.

President Joe Biden announced $2.4 billion in military assistance for Ukraine on Thursday and plans to convene a leader-level meeting of key allies to coordinate additional support when he visits Germany next month.

The announcement, which came ahead of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to the White House later in the day, said Biden was directing the Pentagon to allocate the full remainder of Ukraine assistance before the end of his term. The Defense Department is also unveiling an initial package that included additional air defense systems, drones, and munitions.

Biden is also providing Ukraine with a new long-range munition known as the Joint Standoff Weapon, and has asked the Pentagon to refurbish an additional Patriot air defense battery and expand the F-16 training program for Ukrainian pilots.

Additionally, the U.S. is moving to disrupt a cryptocurrency network it says has been helping Russia to evade sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine. And Biden said he was working to ensure that restrictions on the drawdown of U.S. equipment didn’t prevent Ukraine from receiving assistance.

“There is more work to do,” Biden said in the statement. “That is why, today, I am announcing a surge in security assistance for Ukraine and a series of additional actions to help Ukraine win this war.”

The new steps are in addition to a new $375 million weapons package that included rocket systems and artillery announced Wednesday as leaders met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Still, the effort is likely to fall short of some of the security and economic guarantees Zelenskyy is expected to seek as part of his proposal, including NATO membership and promises of guaranteed access to certain advanced weapons systems.

Long-term prospects for Ukraine assistance have also been muddied this week amid a simmering dispute between Zelenskyy and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

While the Ukrainian leader will meet with Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris during his trip to the White House, Trump declined Zelenskyy’s offer for a meeting.

The snub came after the New Yorker published an interview in which Zelenskyy called Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance “too radical.” Trump’s campaign was dismayed that Zelenskyy visited the battleground state of Pennsylvania on his U.S. taxpayer-funded trip to the U.S., according to a person who requested anonymity to detail internal discussions.

At an event Wednesday, Trump said Zelenskyy was “making little nasty aspersions toward your favorite president” and criticized Ukraine for failing to broker a deal with Russia to end the war.

“The president of Ukraine is in our country, and he’s making little, nasty aspersions toward your favorite president,” Trump said Wednesday. “Biden and Kamala allowed this to happen by feeding Zelenskyy money and munitions like no country has ever seen before. Every time he came to our country, he’d walk away with $60 billion.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson will also not meet Zelenskyy during his visit to Washington, and the Louisiana Republican said Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, should be fired over her president’s visit to a munitions plant in Pennsylvania.

“The facility was in a politically contested battleground state, was led by a top political surrogate for Kamala Harris, and failed to include a single Republican because — on purpose — no Republicans were invited,” Johnson said in a statement. “The tour was clearly a partisan campaign event designed to help Democrats and is clearly election interference.”

© 2024 Bloomberg L.P.

Visit bloomberg.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Story Continues

© Copyright 2024 Bloomberg News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Read the full article here

Latest articles

Up for Any Adventure: Outdoor Research Women’s Ferrosi Pants Review

Wind-resistant and quick-drying, these pants are up for adventures in almost any condition. A...

Editorial Tries to Reframe NY Sensitive Places Law After Court Loss

New York lost in the Bruen case and suddenly couldn't bar just about everyone...

Where Did The Myth Of Overpopulation Come From?

This article was originally published by Rhoda Wilson at The Daily Exposé. Population alarmists who...

50+ Soup Canning Recipes for a Rainy Day

There’s nothing like the convenience of home-canned soup when you need a quick, wholesome...

Saving ‘Souls of Communities’: TGR Highlights Power of Indy Pass in New Documentary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTj2F7YDHUs As huge corporations like Vail Resorts and Alterra Mountain Company grow and acquire new...

More like this

Active Recovery With KEEN: Nolan John’s Weekend in Austin

When ultra runner and sobriety enthusiast Nolan John isn’t racking up miles in the...

Walz’s Gun Handling Elicits Howls of Ridicule From Across the Internet

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has done everything he can to position himself as a...

Beyond 5.56: Top Chamberings for MSRs

Modern sporting rifles, particularly the AR-15 and AR-10 platforms, have...

Ukraine Is Losing: “Elite” Troops Surrender To Russia In Kursk Region

The Ukrainian military is being outdone by Russia and it looks like its defeat...

Improve Aero in Real Time: ‘Body Rocket’ Measures Drag on Your Bike

At the cutting edge of cycling, most athletes don’t have access to arguably the...

Young Gun Control Advocate Falsely Claims Gun Violence “The Worst It’s Ever Been”

Utah has one of the lowest homicide rates in the country, so I was...