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Ukrainian soldier near Avdiivka in August 2023

Photo: LIBKOS / dpa

US President Joe Biden fears further setbacks after the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the city of Avdiivka. While attending church in the US state of Delaware, the 81-year-old made it clear that the Russian occupiers could conquer even more cities. “There is so much at stake,” emphasized Biden.

This makes it all the more urgent to provide Ukraine with equipment and financial resources. The fact that the Ukrainian army is now running out of ammunition is “absurd” and “unethical.” Biden once again assured Zelenskyj of US support in a phone call, the White House said. He stressed that Congress urgently needs to approve a new aid package for Ukraine.

The lack of US support is partly responsible for the withdrawal: the Ukrainian soldiers had to "ration their ammunition due to Congress's inaction." An aid package worth around 60 billion US dollars (almost 56 billion euros) is stuck in the US Congress. The Senate has approved, but the approval of the House of Representatives is still considered open because the Republicans have a slim majority there. MPs from the right-wing fringe of the party are opposing further US aid to Ukraine.

The Democrat Biden repeatedly calls on Congress to act - with moderate success. The White House recently warned about the fall of Avdiivka and held Congress responsible for it. The withdrawal from the city in eastern Ukraine, which has been fought over for months, is a further setback for the Ukrainian army in its defensive battle against Russia.

Stoltenberg: There is already less ammunition for Ukraine because of the US dispute

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also emphasized that the domestic political dispute in the USA was increasing the ammunition shortage in Ukraine. He couldn't give details, but it was certain that there had been declines in the country's supply of standard ammunition and certain types of air defense equipment, the Norwegian said on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. "Because the situation on the battlefield is so difficult, even small reductions can have a big impact," he added. He called on the US Congress to quickly make a decision on new military aid for Ukraine.

Putin congratulates Russia's army on conquering Avdiivka

Meanwhile in Moscow there is great satisfaction. Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated the army he sent to war on the capture of Avdiivka. "The president congratulated our soldiers and fighters on such an important victory and such success," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by the Interfax agency. The armed forces of Russia and Ukraine said that the other side had lost around 1,500 soldiers in the past 24 hours. This information could not be independently verified.

Early on Saturday morning, the new Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky announced that his own units had been withdrawn from Avdiivka after months of heavy fighting and relocated to more favorable defense lines. This is intended to avoid encirclement and protect the lives of the soldiers, explained Syrsky. At the same time, he promised that the city, which once had around 30,000 inhabitants, would be freed from Russian occupation at a later date.

mgo/dpa