New Delhi: US President Joe Biden held phone talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Vladimir Zelensky on Monday and assured him that Washington will continue to provide Ukraine with security assistance including advanced air defense systems, the White House said in a statement.
The statement indicates the talks took place in connection with the massive strike that Russia inflicted on Ukraine’s energy, military, and telecom facilities in response to the terrorist attack on the Crimean bridge that had been perpetrated by Kyiv.
The US president condemned Russia’s missile strikes across Ukraine, including in Kyiv, as “senseless,” according to the statement.
“President Biden pledged to continue providing Ukraine with the support needed to defend itself, including advanced air defense systems,” the White House said in a statement. “He also underscored his ongoing engagement with allies and partners to continue imposing costs on Russia.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin said at an urgent Security Council meeting on Monday that a massive strike had been inflicted on Ukrainian energy, military command, and communications facilities and warned Kyiv that if Ukraine tried to continue terrorist attacks in Russia, they would be met with a tough response.
Since 2014, the United States has provided more than $19.6 billion in security assistance for training and equipment to help Ukraine preserve its territorial integrity, secure its borders, and improve interoperability with NATO.
(Vinayak)