As Ukraine battles a Russian invasion, US President Joe Biden has approved $350 million in military help for the country.
Biden requested that $350 million from the Foreign Assistance Act be targeted for Ukraine's defense in a memorandum to Secretary of State Antony Blinken. After a stubborn President, Volodymyr Zelensky, declared Moscow would not humble his pro-Western country, Ukrainian forces repelled a Russian onslaught in the capital, the military said Saturday.
Biden Commits Additional Military Assistance to Ukraine
A missile struck a high-rise apartment building in the city's southwestern outskirts near one of Kyiv's two passenger airports, Mayor Vitali Klitchsko said, leaving a jagged hole of ravaged apartments over several floors, WION reported. Russia claims its assault on Ukraine is aimed solely at military targets, but civilians have been killed and injured during Europe's largest ground war since World War II. Six individuals were hurt, according to a rescue worker.
Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have already fled their homes as a result of the violence, as per Business Today. More than 120,000 Ukrainians have fled to Poland, Moldova, and other neighboring countries, according to UN authorities.
According to Kyiv, 137 individuals were killed, including military and civilians. Meanwhile, near the separatist zone in the east, the Defense Ministry reported "two hostile targets were shot down," describing them as a Russian SU-25 helicopter and a military bomber.
In the fall of 2021 and again in December, the US pulled from its military stockpiles to assist Ukraine. According to Blinken, the US has contributed more than $1 billion in security support to Ukraine over the last year.
As Ukraine's military faces an invading Russian force, several nations have committed military aid to Kyiv. According to the Kremlin, Russian forces resumed their advance into Ukraine on Saturday after President Vladimir Putin suspended the attack a day earlier, expecting discussions with Kyiv that never materialized. The Dutch government stated in a letter to parliament on Saturday that it will provide 200 Stinger air defense missiles to Ukraine as soon as feasible.
US Deploys 7,000 Troops in Germany
Belgium has committed 2,000 machine guns and 3,800 tons of gasoline to the war effort. A French army spokesperson said on Saturday that France has agreed to deploy defensive military weapons to Ukraine to help the nation fight Russia's incursion, but that offensive armaments were still being considered.
President Joe Biden launched a fresh round of sanctions on Russia and said the US is sending more troops to Germany to boost NATO in the face of President Vladimir Putin's "naked aggression." After Putin selected this conflict, US President remarked during a press conference at the White House that "freedom will prevail."
Per Sky News, Biden stated that the sanctions imposed today are designed to have the "most long-term impact" on Russia while having the least impact on allies. He made it plain that US troops would not fight in Ukraine but that the US would assist in defense of every inch of NATO territory, as he ordered the deployment of extra US military to Germany.
A US defense official confirmed that the US would send 7,000 troops to Germany to reassure NATO allies who are part of a bigger contingent that was put on alert earlier this year. According to the official, the forces would be formed up of an armored brigade combat unit and would travel for Germany in the following days.
Biden stated that a NATO meeting with the presidents of 20 allied countries and key partners would take place tomorrow. This will "confirm our solidarity and lay out the next actions we'll take to further enhance all facets of our NATO alliance," according to the statement.
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