Washington:

US President Joe Biden on Saturday blamed congressional inaction for Russia’s seize of the jap Ukrainian stronghold of Avdiivka, as partisan wrangling holds up $60 billion in badly wanted navy help.

With Ukrainian forces working low on provides, Biden known as President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday “to underscore the United States’ commitment to continue supporting Ukraine,” in line with a White House assertion summarizing the decision.

It mentioned the Ukrainian withdrawal from Avdiivka got here “after Ukrainian soldiers had to ration ammunition due to dwindling supplies as a result of congressional inaction, resulting in Russia’s first notable gains in months.”

Biden “reaffirmed the strong bipartisan support in the US government and among the American people for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” and he known as on Congress to urgently go a spending invoice together with help for Ukraine. 

“The Ukrainians continue to fight bravely, but they are running low on supplies,” National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson mentioned earlier, including that Ukraine wanted artillery ammunition and different crucial gear.

In a put up on Telegram following the cellphone name, Zelensky mentioned: “I am glad that I can count on the full support of the American president. We also believe in the wise decision of the US Congress.”

The fall of Avdiivka, an industrial metropolis in Ukraine’s jap Donbas area, was a significant symbolic victory for Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

Avdiivka, although principally destroyed by now, had been a logo of Ukraine’s decided resistance to Russian aggression since 2014.

The statements of US assist got here as Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken had been scrambling to reassure Western allies on the Munich Security Conference that Washington’s assist of Kyiv’s battle effort in opposition to the Russian invasion would proceed.

With current US funding having already dried up, Donald Trump’s allies within the House of Representatives have been stalling essential Ukraine help.

Trump, the probably Republican nominee within the November presidential race, opposes serving to Kyiv and lately used his sway to kill a US border reform invoice that may have additionally approved further help to Ukraine.

Speaking in Munich earlier Saturday alongside Zelensky, Harris mentioned: “As it relates to our support for Ukraine, we must be unwavering and we cannot play political games.”

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