Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has welcomed the U.S. announcement that it’s sending an additional $1 billion in military aid that includes heavy weapons for the outgunned Ukrainian military.
“It’s yet another sign that Western support for Ukraine is here for good,” Zelenskyy said in his regular late-night address. “I’ll keep asking for necessary weapons and equipment, but the bravery and skillfulness of our service members can’t be imported.”
In another development, Zelenskyy on Thursday is hosting the leaders of Germany, France and Italy, who are making their first visit to the Ukrainian capital since Russia’s invasion in February.
French President Emmanuel Macron of France, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi traveled by train to Kyiv because all of Ukraine’s civilian airports are closed due to the security risks.
Ukrainian leaders have criticized what they describe as lukewarm support from these key European countries, and Thursday’s meeting is being closely watched to gauge the level of support for Ukraine’s war with Russia.
Ukrainian leaders have been upset with Macron in particular for saying that Russia must not be “humiliated.” Scholz has said Ukraine should not lose the war, but has not gone so far as to say it should win.
“How can the country that rapes our women be allowed save face?” Mykhailo Podolyak, a top adviser to Zelenskyy, told NPR in an interview. “What do we need to win this war to have this war come to an end? We need weapons.”
Meanwhile, the United States on Wednesday announced an additional $1 billion in military assistance to Ukraine. That includes heavy artillery and rockets, as well as training for Ukrainian troops.
Podolyak is Ukraine’s chief negotiator, and in the early weeks of the war he led a team that met with Russian representatives five times. But the talks made no progress. In addition, as evidence of Russian abuses mounted, the Ukrainian public turned against such talks.
In a poll last month, more than 80% of Ukrainians said they were unwilling to give up territory for peace, even if it means a prolonged conflict, according to the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology.
