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Biden and Zelenskyy discuss $425 million Arms Package for Ukraine


Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is urging for increased Western military support as part of a ‘victory plan’ to end the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

President Joe Biden reaffirmed U.S. support for Ukraine and announced a new $425 million military assistance package during a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Oct. 16.

According to a White House readout, the new military assistance for Ukraine will include additional air defense capabilities, air-to-ground munitions, armored vehicles, and deliveries of other “critical munitions to meet Ukraine’s urgent needs.”

“In the coming months, the United States will provide Ukraine with a range of additional capabilities, including hundreds of air defense interceptors, dozens of tactical air defense systems, additional artillery systems, significant quantities of ammunition, hundreds of armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles, and thousands of additional armored vehicles, all of which will help to equip Ukraine’s armed forces,” the White House said.

Biden and Zelenskyy discussed less than a month after the Ukrainian president visited the United States and shared what he describes as a “victory plan” for Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia.

Zelenskyy had previously kept the details of his victory plan largely confidential, but revealed more specifics on the plan in a public address to Ukraine’s parliament on Wednesday.

The victory plan involves a renewed request from Zelenskyy for NATO to extend membership status to Ukraine.

Zelenskyy’s plan also includes a request for his Western supporters to supply Ukrainian forces with long-range weapons systems and the corresponding permission to utilize those weapons to strike deep within Russian territory.

While the Biden administration has been hesitant to allow extensive Ukrainian strikes inside Russia, they have authorized limited cross-border strikes targeting Russian forces involved in the conflict within Ukraine.

The plan also calls for a “comprehensive non-nuclear strategic deterrence package,” which Zelenskyy believes will either compel Russia to negotiate a cease-fire on his terms or face harm to its military capabilities.

As a fourth component of the victory plan, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine could sign agreements with the United States, the European Union (EU), and other Western countries to export Ukraine’s natural resources. The fifth and final part involves offering battle-hardened Ukrainian forces to assist security missions across Europe and replace some U.S. troops stationed throughout the continent.

The White House mentioned that Biden and Zelenskyy revisited the victory plan during their call, and both leaders instructed their teams to engage in further consultations on next steps.

Zelenskyy intends to discuss his victory plan in more detail with EU leaders at the European Council meeting on Oct. 17.

While the full acceptance of Zelenskyy’s plan by Ukraine’s Western supporters remains uncertain, they are continuing discussions on additional support.

The White House confirmed that Biden committed to hosting a November virtual leader-level meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, focusing on preparing additional rounds of international military assistance for Ukraine.

In his own account of the call with Biden, Zelenskyy stated that he also emphasized the need for additional training support for Ukrainian forces.

“We appreciate the U.S. for its dedication to assisting Ukraine in strengthening its positions to push Russia into diplomatic negotiations,” Zelenskyy said.



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