U.S. President Biden spoke by phone with Ukrainian President Zelenskiy, asking that the U.S. Congress urgently pass a budget bill for additional military support following the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Audiiivka in the east, where fierce fighting continued. I emphasized that it must be approved.
Regarding military aid to Ukraine, in the United States, the largest donor country, deliberations in Congress on the budget required for additional aid have stalled due to opposition from opposition parties and the Republican Party, and aid has continued to stagnate.
Against this backdrop, the U.S. White House announced that President Biden spoke by phone with President Zelenskiy of Ukraine on the 17th.
According to the announcement, President Biden said that the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Audiiivka, a stronghold in the eastern Donetsk region that had been under increasing attack by Russia, was due to a decrease in the supply of ammunition and was the result of inaction on the part of the U.S. Congress. '', criticizing the Congress' response and stressing the need for Congress' immediate approval of the budget bill.
President Biden also pledged that the United States will continue to support Ukraine as it approaches two years since Russia's invasion.
Meanwhile, President Zelenskiy posted on social media, ``I also believe that the U.S. Congress will make wise decisions,'' expressing his hope that the budget proposal for aid to Ukraine will be approved quickly.