Biden talks with Zelensky, announces new military aid for Ukraine

On Friday, President Joe Biden announced that the United States is set to deliver a new military aid package to Ukraine, including anti-aircraft missiles, after a phone call with his counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky.

The call came on the same day Washington announced sanctions against hundreds of individuals and entities linked to the Russian invasion of the country.

"I am proud to announce today a new military assistance package for Ukraine," Biden said in a statement, without specifying its dollar value.

"The package includes anti-aircraft defense missiles to protect Ukraine's critical infrastructure; anti-drone equipment and anti-armor missiles to defend itself," as well as "ammunition for front-line soldiers and the mobile rocket systems that protect them," he added.

"Russia will not prevail in this conflict. The independent people of Ukraine will prevail, and the United States, our allies, and our partners will stand with them every step of the way," Biden added.

The United States has been a major military backer of Ukraine, with more than $55 billion in arms, ammunition and other security assistance sent since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

This announcement comes at a time when Ukrainian troops are trying to gain more territory in the western Russian region of Kursk they entered two weeks ago, an offensive unheard of by a foreign army on Russian territory since World War II.

During the call with Biden, Zelensky expressed satisfaction with the package and wrote on social network X that Ukraine "urgently" needs the new weapons.