U.S. promises more aid for Ukraine as Zelenskyy drives home Kyiv's need for support now
Reuters | Posted: August 23, 2024 9:24 PM | Last Updated: August 23
Soldiers fight on the front line 'with shells and equipment, not with words,' Zelenskyy says
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is reminding Kyiv's allies that his country cannot rely on IOUs to defend its borders, calling on those same partners to follow through on defence provision commitments promptly.
"There are packages that have been announced and approved, but they have not been delivered to Ukraine," Zelenskyy said Friday in his regular televised address. "And the front is fighting with shells and equipment, not with words 'tomorrow' or 'soon.'"
Russia launched an all-out invasion of Ukraine's borders 30 months ago, and the ensuing war has left Zelenskyy continually working to build external support for Kyiv's fight.
The United States has been integral to Ukraine's fight against the invasion, and on Friday, the White House said in a statement that U.S. President Joe Biden had spoken with Zelenskyy and that a new military-aid package was forthcoming for Ukraine.
U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, who also spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov on Friday, said on social media the package was worth $125 million US.
In the call with Zelenskyy, Biden reaffirmed Washington's support, which the White House called "unwavering," for Ukraine in its war with Russia.
The aid package includes air-defence missiles, counter-drone equipment, anti-armour missiles and ammunition, the statement said.
Biden is not seeking re-election this fall but has indicated that continued support for Ukraine will be a key focus of his final months in office.
The pending U.S. election could have implications for Ukraine, depending on who follows Biden in the Oval Office.
India's Modi visits Kyiv
In other news on Friday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ukraine and urged Zelenskyy Friday to sit down for talks with Russia to end the war.
The first visit by an Indian prime minister in modern Ukrainian history came at a volatile juncture in the war. Moscow is making slow gains in Eastern Ukraine as Kyiv presses a cross-border incursion in Russia's Kursk region.
The optics closely resembled the Indian leader's visit to Moscow last month where he called for peace and embraced Russian President Vladimir Putin, angering Ukraine as a Russian missile strike hit a children's hospital on the same day.
"The road to resolution can only be found through dialogue and diplomacy," Modi said in Kyiv. "And we should move in that direction without wasting any time. Both sides should sit together to find a way out of this crisis.
"I want to assure you that India is ready to play an active role in any efforts towards peace. If I can play any role in this personally, I will do that, I want to assure you as a friend."
It was not immediately clear what Kyiv made of his remarks and whether they were part of a diplomatic push taking place behind closed doors.
Speaking later on Friday in his regular address to the nation after the visit had ended, Zelenskiy said it is "important to us that India remains committed to international law and supports our sovereignty and territorial integrity."
He also said he appreciated that Modi had begun the visit by paying tribute to the children killed in the July hospital strike.
India-Russia ties
India, which traditionally has close economic and defence relations with Moscow, has publicly criticized the deaths of innocent people in the war, but also strengthened its economic ties with Moscow.
Both leaders described Modi's visit as "historic" in their statements during their meeting, in which Modi spoke second and Zelenskyy had no opportunity to respond to the call for dialogue.
WATCH | Problems for Putin in Russia's Kursk region:
Zelenskyy said that "the matter of ending the war and a just peace are the priority for Ukraine."
Ukraine has repeatedly said it wants the war to end but on Kyiv's terms, not Russia's. Ukraine has been pushing to hold a second international summit later this year to advance its vision of peace and involve representatives from Russia.
The first summit, held in Switzerland in June, pointedly excluded Russia, while attracting scores of delegations, including one from India, but not from China, the world's second largest economy. Zelenskyy urged Modi to sign the summit's communique, which India has not done.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that talks were out of the question after Ukraine launched its incursion into Russia's Kursk region on Aug. 6.
Kyiv's top armed forces commander has touted the capture of almost 100 settlements in the assault, part of what military analysts see as an attempt to divert Russian troops from Eastern Ukraine where Moscow's forces are making gains.