Biden apologises to Zelenskyy for aid delays, lauds Ukraine’s war efforts
Al Jazeera
US president says Washington is still ‘completely, thoroughly’ standing with Kyiv to fend off the Russian invasion.
United States President Joe Biden has apologised to his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy for previous delays in Washington’s aid to Kyiv, stressing that the US is “not going to walk away” from supporting Ukraine.
The two leaders met on Friday in Paris on the sidelines of D-Day anniversary celebrations, where the US president announced a $225m aid package to help rebuild Ukraine’s electric grid.
Biden emphasised that the US will continue to stand with Ukraine against the Russian invasion. “We’re still in – completely, thoroughly,” he said.
Washington has provided tens of billions of dollars to Kyiv to help fend off the Russian offensive that began in February 2022. But earlier this year, funds available for the Biden administration to help Ukraine began to dwindle during an impasse in Congress to authorise new aid.
Some right-wing lawmakers have been sceptical of US support for Ukraine. Further complicating matters, legislators tried to link Ukraine aid to other issues, including assistance to Israel and domestic priorities.
