Ukraine against new axis of evil: OP chief addresses U.S. on armed forces' urgent needs
Andrii Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
The continuation of defensive aid from the United States to Ukraine, which is repelling the new axis of evil in the full-scale military aggression, is entirely in line with Washington's national interests, according to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andrii Yermak.
Yermak revealed that he held a series of meetings with members of both houses of Congress in the United States and also engaged with representatives of the Ukrainian caucus in the House of Representatives and the Senate.
"I thanked both houses of the United States Congress, both parties, and the entire American people for their robust support and unprecedented volumes of aid to our state in the fight against Russian aggression. We highly value the unity of both parties in the U.S. in supporting Ukraine. And we count on its continuation," he said.
Approval of funding packages in the United States
The Ukrainian official also emphasized the urgency of promptly considering the budget request from the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden for additional spending on aid to Ukraine.
Yermak assured that Ukraine aims to transition to independent production of the most in-demand military products.
New axis of evil
"Currently, Ukraine is confronting the new axis of evil consisting of Russia, Iran, and North Korea, so the continuation of assistance to our state is not only critically important for Ukraine but also entirely aligns with U.S. national interests," he said.
What Ukrainian defenders need
Yermak also discussed the urgent needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, including:
- Long-range systems
- Artillery
- Ammunition
- Tanks
- Other armored vehicles.
"I called for the passage of appropriate legislation to continue providing assistance to Ukraine from the United States," Yermak said.
The head of the OP highlighted that against the backdrop of the approaching winter, an escalation of Russian missile terror is expected, so Ukraine needs to strengthen its anti-aircraft defense.
Other topics discussed
Yermak also discussed the following in meetings with American officials and politicians:
- Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine,
- Negotiating agreements on security guarantees until full NATO membership in accordance with the Vilnius Declaration of the G7,
- Issues of confiscating frozen Russian assets for financing post-war recovery in Ukraine,
- Issues of increasing sanctions pressure on Russia and the return of illegally deported Ukrainian children.
U.S. support for Ukraine
The United States is one of the main allies of our country in the face of Russian aggression. Since the beginning of the war, Washington has been supporting Kyiv with military and financial aid.
Recently, the Pentagon said that it still has over $5.4 billion allocated for military aid to Ukraine.
In October, President Joe Biden proposed allocating $106 billion in assistance to Ukraine and Israel. The new Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, called on lawmakers to vote separately for assistance to Tel Aviv. However, Democrats blocked this attempt.
It was previously reported that, according to Andrii Yermak, the head of the Office of the President, during a speech at the Hudson Institute in Washington, the next year will be decisive in resolving the war against Ukraine by Russia, and a turning point is approaching.
