US President Joe Biden has apologized to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the months-long delay in delivering military aid to Ukraine, The Associated Press and CNN report.
Biden made the statement during talks with Zelenskyy in Paris on June 7. The two Presidents arrived in France to take part in events marking the 80th anniversary of the Allied landings in Normandy. This event is also known as D-Day.
Biden tells Zelenskyy that he apologizes to the Ukrainian people for the period when military aid did not arrive.
“I apologize for the weeks of not knowing what’s going to pass, in terms of funding, because we had trouble getting the bill that we had to pass that had the money from some of our very conservative members who were holding it up, but we got it done,” Biden says.
The US President emphasizes that the American people support Ukraine in the long run.
“You know, you haven't bowed down, you haven't yielded at all, you continue to fight in a way that is just remarkable, is just remarkable—and we’re not going to walk away from you,” he says.
US assistance to Ukraine
The United States is one of the leaders in providing military assistance to Ukraine. Washington has provided the Ukrainian army with long-range missiles, multiple-launch rocket systems, tanks, ammunition, and other military equipment, technology, and ammunition.
However, in 2023, the United States suspended assistance to Ukraine because Congress could not pass a bill. Arms supplies resumed only in the spring of 2024.
Today, on June 7, US President Joe Biden announced the allocation of another $225 million military aid package to Ukraine.