In a statement Wednesday, Biden said: “I just spoke to him [Ukrainian] Chairman [Volodymyr] Zelensky and shared with him that my government approves an additional $ 800 million in weapons, ammunition and other security assistance to Ukraine. “The Ukrainian army has used the weapons we provide with disastrous results,” he added. “As Russia prepares to intensify its offensive in the Donbas region, the United States will continue to provide Ukraine with the opportunity to defend itself.” US aid comes as Ukraine prepares for a new and more brutal Russian military push, successfully forcing Moscow forces to withdraw from the area around Kyiv. The US and its allies are trying to provide weapons to help Ukraine as it moves from fighting in the streets and cities that dominated the defense of Kiev to the more conventional battles expected in eastern Ukraine. NATO officials say the US move comes as Western countries become increasingly receptive to the idea of ​​sending heavier weapons such as tanks and artillery to Ukraine last week. Allied powers increasingly believe that Kiev’s position as a nation-state justifies the supply of more aggressive weapons. “One of the definitions used by the administration is offensive versus defensive [weapons]; “There is a kind of feeling now that it is no longer a substantial discrimination,” said one US congressman who is aware of the issue. Discussions over the possibility of sending fighter jets to Ukraine also took place last week at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers, according to those present at the talks, a move that would mark a major shift in the level of deadly aid being prepared by Western nations. countries to supply Kyiv. The United States has said it will send more Mi-17 helicopters to Ukraine as part of the latest package, in addition to many that were sent before the invasion began in February. The additional US aid comes in response to Zelensky’s calls for heavier armaments to fight Russian tanks and missiles. “Freedom must be better armed than tyranny. “Western countries have everything to make it happen,” Zelensky said in an English-language video call on Wednesday. After the call with Biden, Zelensky added on Twitter that the leaders “discussed an additional package of defense and possible macro-financial assistance to Ukraine. [and] agreed to step up sanctions “. Zelensky said they also discussed possible Russian war crimes committed in Ukraine. Last week, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milli spent two hours on the phone examining Ukraine’s requests for help with the country’s military chief and top adviser to Zelensky. .

The new commitment will increase the total US aid provided to Ukraine since the beginning of the war to $ 2.5 billion. Funding will come from the Presidential Withdrawal Authority, which allows the President to draw from US stockpiles in the event of an emergency without congressional approval. The government, however, consulted with Congress on the decision Tuesday, the person said. The Pentagon is also meeting with the top eight U.S. arms makers on Wednesday to discuss stepping up aid to Ukraine and preparing for a protracted conflict, two defense officials said. On Monday, EU foreign ministers discussed shifting their arms supplies from lighter, more easily transportable weapons, such as anti-tank missiles to heavier equipment such as artillery, armored vehicles, multi-launcher missile systems, and discussions. “The Ukrainians are preparing to face this new stage of the war and we will obviously help them. “It’s no secret,” said Josep Borrell, chief EU diplomat, this week. “From a military point of view, since we will not intervene in the war, the only way we can help them is by providing them with the necessary equipment so that they can fight.” Rachel Rizzo, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said the opening to the heavier weapons mission may stem from the perception that the threat of a nuclear war has diminished compared to previous stages of the conflict. “It simply came to our notice then [Russian president Vladimir] “What Putin did in the beginning has dissolved a little bit,” he said. “At the end of the day, the Russian army is just not as terrible as people thought, and the Ukrainian army was much better than the West thought it would be.” Additional report by Roman Olearchyk in Kyiv Video: The battle of the radio waves of Ukraine