Biden announces new $800M aid package to Ukraine

"We won’t always be able to advertise everything we and our partners are doing to support Ukraine in its fight for freedom, but to modernize Teddy Roosevelt's famous advice, sometimes we will speak softly and carry a large javelin, because we are sending a lot of those [Javelin anti-tank missile systems] as well," U.S. President Joe Biden said at the White House on Thursday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

According to him, the new aid package for Ukraine will include, among other things, heavy artillery weapons, including dozens of howitzers and ammunition, as well as tactical drones. Biden stressed that the United States and its allies were working quickly to provide Ukrainian forces with weapons to defend themselves.

At the same time, he said that he had talked on Thursday to Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal currently on a visit to Washington. Biden noted that he had a "good discussion" with him, namely about support for Ukraine and opposition to Russian aggression.

In addition, the President said that next week he would make an official request to the U.S. Congress to approve a new large-scale funding package to help Ukraine. He expressed the expectation that Congress would approve the request quickly.

"In order to sustain Ukraine for the duration of this fight, next week I’m going to send to the Congress the supplementary budget request to keep weapons and ammunition flowing without interruption to the brave Ukrainian fighters and continue to deliver economic assistance to the Ukrainian people," he said.

In this regard, he thanked American taxpayers and the military for their contribution to support for Ukraine.

As reported, on April 13, the U.S. administration approved another large-scale package of defensive assistance to Ukraine. It also provided security and defense support totaling $800 million. According to the Pentagon, most of the aircraft with weapons and equipment for Ukraine already arrived in Europe.

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