Zelenskyy culminates Washington visit with a White House pledge of $128m

BBC News:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made his second visit to Washington, DC, since Russian forces launched a full-scale invasion of his country.

But unlike in his first trip to the United States Capitol, Zelenskyy faced a congress less inclined to back the war effort with large aid packages, despite pledges from top Democrats to “stand behind” Ukraine.

In brief public remarks before the White House Cabinet on Thursday, Zelenksyy struck a note of gratitude, calling his negotiations in Washington “productive” and “strong”.

“Thank you for all these 575 days,” he said, referencing the length of time since Russia invaded in February 2022. “Thanks to the American people, all these days they are together with us, with Ukrainians, with ordinary people, all of us.”

He also highlighted new military assistance, worth $128m, announced by US President Joe Biden on Thursday.

“It has exactly what our soldiers need now,” he said, calling it a “very powerful package”.

Biden, a Democrat, used his presidential “drawdown authority” to authorise the aid, as further funds for Ukraine prove to be a sticking point in the US Congress.

“Today, I approved the next tranche of US security assistance to Ukraine, including more artillery, more ammunition, more anti-tank weapons,” he said. “And next week, the first US Abrams tanks will be delivered to Ukraine.”