Biden tells Zelensky: US will quickly send military aid to Ukraine

(Patria) - The United States will act quickly to provide new military aid to help Kyiv in its fight against the Russian invasion, President Joe Biden told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in a phone call on Monday, AFP reports.

The US House of Representatives last week gave the green light for a large and long-delayed aid package that included $61 billion for war-torn Ukraine, and the Senate is expected to follow suit.

According to a White House readout, Biden emphasized America's "enduring commitment" to Ukraine "as it defends its freedom from Russian aggression." He told Zelensky that the US would "quickly provide significant new security assistance packages to meet Ukraine's urgent battlefield and air defense needs" as soon as the Senate passes the aid package and Biden signs it into law.

The Senate is expected to pass the measure, which has bipartisan support, today.

"President Biden also emphasized that US economic aid will help maintain financial stability, build critical infrastructure following Russian attacks, and support reform as Ukraine moves forward on its path of Euro-Atlantic integration," the statement further said.

Zelensky posted on social media that he thanked Biden during the call for his "unwavering support" for Kyiv. Biden "assured me that he will sign the bill as soon as it is approved by the Senate," the Ukrainian president said. Zelensky conveyed that Biden told him the weapons and other hardware in the upcoming military aid package "will be powerful, strengthening our air defense, as well as long-range and artillery capabilities."

Zelensky also said they discussed the latest strikes as part of "Russian air terror," including the bombing by Russian forces that toppled a large television tower in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv just minutes before the two spoke.