The U.S. government announced Wednesday a new $1.85 billion military aid package to Ukraine, including the first shipment of Patriot air defense systems, coinciding with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski’s first trip abroad.
The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, stressed that this technology is «capable of shooting down cruise missiles, short-range ballistic missiles and aircraft at an altitude significantly higher than that provided by previous defense systems».
«We will continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes, so that Kiev can continue to defend itself and arrive in the best possible position at the negotiating table when the time comes,» said the head of US diplomacy, who praised the «extraordinary courage» of the Ukrainian people in the face of «brutal attacks» by Russia.
In this regard, he accused the Russian forces of trying to «freeze and starve» Ukrainian citizens now that winter is coming, after more than 300 days in which «it has failed» in its attempt to «wipe Ukraine off the map».
With the aid known this Wednesday — the twenty-eighth package since August 2021 — there are now 21.9 billion dollars destined for Ukraine by the Administration of President Joe Biden, who will receive his Ukrainian counterpart at the White House this Wednesday.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
