Thursday, September 02, 2021
Meet at the White House
Biden assures Selenskyj close partnership
Joe Biden receives his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Selenskyj in the White House and assures him of US support against Russia. Ukraine can rely on additional military aid from Washington. The two statesmen are also united in their rejection of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.
The US is expanding its military aid to Ukraine and is supplying the country with additional armaments for defense against Russia. After a meeting between US President Joe Biden and his Ukrainian colleague Volodymyr Zelenskyi in the White House, the US announced a new “security aid package” worth $ 60 million. This includes additional Javelin anti-tank missiles and other armaments “so that Ukraine can defend itself more effectively against Russian aggression”. US support to the Ukrainian security forces has been $ 2.5 billion since 2014, according to the White House.
In a joint statement after the White House meeting, the US and Ukraine underlined their continued opposition to the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline. The near-completed pipeline – which bypasses Ukraine is supposed to deliver gas from Russia to Germany – is “a threat for Europe’s energy security “. The US pledged to work to ensure that Ukraine remains a transit country for Russian gas. After a recent agreement with the USA in the dispute over the project, the federal government wants to get involved. Ukraine depends on the income from the transit.
At the meeting in the Oval Office, Biden Zelenskyi again pledged support to protect himself from Russian attacks. “The United States remains firmly committed to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression,” said the US President. “The partnership between our countries is getting stronger.” Support the “Euro-Atlantic” efforts of Ukraine. Prior to this, high-ranking officials from the White House had said with a view to Ukraine joining NATO that the government had to implement far-reaching reforms beforehand.
Ukraine is making progress in this area. The joint statement said: “The United States supports Ukraine’s right to determine its future foreign policy course without outside interference.” This also applies to the country’s efforts to join NATO. The US would support Ukraine in reforms. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the US does not decide who will join NATO. The joint statement said the US would never recognize Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
The US and Ukraine have called on Russia for a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine and efforts to end the conflict. For more than seven years, Ukrainian government troops have been fighting against Moscow-backed separatists in areas in the east of the country. According to UN estimates, more than 13,000 people have been killed since then.
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