Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Joe Biden speak on the sidelines of the NATO 75th Anniversary Summit in Washington, U.S., July 11, 2024.
Eve Herman | Reuters
U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday and announced a new military aid package ahead of Ukraine's Independence Day on Saturday, their offices said.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who also spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustam Umarov on Friday, said on social media that the package was worth $125 million.
In the call with Zelensky, Biden affirmed Washington's support, which the White House described as “unwavering,” for Ukraine in its war with Russia.
The White House said in its statement that the aid package includes air defense missiles, anti-drone equipment, anti-tank missiles and ammunition.
These calls came ahead of Ukraine's Independence Day.
“Ukraine urgently needs arms supplies from the announced packages, especially additional air defense systems for reliable protection of cities, communities and critical infrastructure,” Zelenskyy said in a statement after the phone call released by his office.
After seizing Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022. Since then, the United States has provided military aid to Ukraine while also imposing sanctions on Moscow over the invasion.
Washington has provided Ukraine with more than $50 billion in military aid since 2022.
The war escalated on August 6 when Ukraine sent thousands of troops across the border into Russia’s western Kursk region. Kyiv has since claimed a string of battlefield successes, but Russian forces continue to advance steadily into eastern Ukraine.
On Friday, the United States imposed sanctions on more than 400 entities and individuals for supporting Russia's war effort in Ukraine, including Chinese companies that U.S. officials believe are helping Moscow evade Western sanctions and build up its military.
