US will provide Ukraine with “new capabilities”, including artillery systems and rounds, armoured personnel carriers, and helicopters as part of a $800m defence assistance package meant to help Ukraine fend off intensified Russian attacks in the Donbas region, president Joe Biden has said.
In a statement, Mr Biden said he informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of the forthcoming arms shipments during a Wednesday videoconference between the two leaders.
Mr Biden said: “The Ukrainian military has used the weapons we are providing to devastating effect. As Russia prepares to intensify its attack in the Donbas region, the United States will continue to provide Ukraine with the capabilities to defend itself,” Mr Biden said.
Meanwhile, Mr Biden has described the actions of Vladimir Putin’s army in Ukraine as “genocide” for the first time. In remarks in Iowa concerning gas prices, the president said: “Your family budget, your ability to fill up your tank — none of it should hinge on whether a dictator declares war and commits genocide a half a world away.”
