The US has responded to a Russian warning against arming Ukraine, by offering Zelenskya further $400 million in security assistance.
The decision was announced on Friday as President Joe Biden hosted German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in a show of unity against Moscow.
Breitbart reports: The head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group meanwhile said its forces had “practically encircled” the eastern Ukraine city of Bakhmut, which has seen the fiercest fighting of Moscow’s invasion.
BYPASS THE CENSORS
Sign up to get unfiltered news delivered straight to your inbox.
You can unsubscribe any time. By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use
Western military aid for Ukraine has been key to Kyiv’s ability to hold out against Moscow’s military onslaught and to even regain ground, but the Kremlin said such assistance will only “prolong the conflict and have sad consequences for the Ukrainian people.”
Arms deliveries “place a significant burden on the economies of these countries and negatively affect the well-being of citizens of these countries, including Germany,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Washington ignored that warning, announcing the new security package for Kyiv that featured ammunition, including for the Himars precision rocket system that Ukrainian forces have used to devastating effect against Russian troops and supply dumps.
In a display of partnership after friction over supplying tanks to Ukraine, Biden hosted Scholz at the White House for his first trip to Washington since Russia’s invasion.
