The US is expanding its military aid to Ukraine and is supplying the country with additional armaments for defense against Russia. After a meeting between US President Joe Biden and his Ukrainian colleague Volodymyr Zelenskyi in the White House, the US announced a new “security aid package” worth $ 60 million. This includes additional Javelin anti-tank missiles and other armaments “so that Ukraine can defend itself more effectively against Russian aggression”.
Zelenskyi thanked Biden for the new US military aid. “We appreciate this contribution,” said the president, referring to the conflict in eastern Ukraine and the massive tensions with Russia. US support to the Ukrainian security forces since 2014 amounts to $ 2.5 billion, according to the White House.
At the meeting in the Oval Office, Biden Zelenskyi again pledged support to protect himself from Russian attacks. “The United States remains firmly committed to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression,” said the US President. “The partnership between our countries is getting stronger.” Support the “Euro-Atlantic ambitions” of the government in Kiev.
No progress on NATO
Prior to this, high-ranking officials from the White House had said that the government would have to implement far-reaching reforms in view of Ukraine’s aspiration to join NATO. Ukraine is making progress in this area. The joint statement said: “The United States supports Ukraine’s right to determine its future foreign policy course without outside interference.” This also applies to the country’s efforts to join NATO. The US would support Ukraine in reforms. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the US did not decide who would join the military alliance.
In a joint statement after the Washington meeting, the US and Ukraine underlined their continued opposition to the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline. The near-completed pipeline – which bypasses Ukraine is supposed to deliver gas from Russia to Germany – is “a threat to Europe’s energy security “. The US pledged to work to ensure that Ukraine remains a transit country for Russian gas. Ukraine is dependent on the income from the transit.
Continuous dispute over gas pipeline
The US President is of the opinion that Germany and Europe with the pipeline are becoming increasingly dependent on Russia and are damaging the gas transit country Ukraine. However, the US government under Biden waived sanctions against the operating company Nord Stream 2 AG and its German managing directors. Biden has stated that he cannot prevent the completion of the pipeline and does not want to burden relations with Germany with sanctions. In June, Washington and Berlin settled their dispute over Nord Stream 2 and agreed that gas transit through Ukraine should be contractually secured for the long term.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, Andrij Melnyk, demanded that in return for the completion of the pipeline, Ukraine must be admitted to NATO quickly. “Ukraine doesn’t need any assurances, but concrete, binding security guarantees from the USA and Germany, ideally within the framework of swift NATO membership.”
Resistance to annexation of Crimea
The joint statement said the US would never recognize Russia’s annexation of Crimea. The US and Ukraine have called on Russia for a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine and efforts to end the conflict. For more than seven years, Ukrainian government troops have been fighting separatists supported by Moscow in areas in the east of the country. According to UN estimates, more than 13,000 people have been killed since then.
Zelenskyi was only the second European head of state or government after Chancellor Angela Merkel to be received by Biden in the White House. The presidents had already phoned twice in the past few months.
kle / mak (dpa, afp, rtre)
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