Zelensky Expressed His Country’s Thanks for Biden’s Unwavering Support

Zelensky THANKS Biden for His SUPPORT

Following the announcement that the 81-year-old Democrat would not run for president in 2024 but would serve out his term in office, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine thanked President Joe Biden for his “unwavering support.”

 

Future US military and financial assistance for the war in Ukraine is in doubt due to President Biden’s decision to resign from the campaign after his popularity began to plummet and many started to distrust his apparent mental decline.

 

Zelensky praised the departing president for his support, noting that his administration and military have greatly benefited from assistance from the Biden White House.

 

Zelensky made the following statement on X: “Ukraine is grateful to President Biden for his unwavering support for Ukraine’s fight for freedom, which has been and continues to be critical, along with strong bipartisan support in the United States.”

 

“President Biden has made a number of courageous decisions in recent years that will be recognized as his response to difficult circumstances. And we honor the firm albeit difficult choice made today.”

 

“We are eternally grateful for President Biden’s guidance. He helped us stop Putin from seizing our country, stood by us throughout the most dramatic moment in history, and has remained by our side throughout this horrible battle.”

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reports that since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the US has provided around $175 billion in military and financial support to the Ukrainian government and its allies.

 

Despite some early military victories for the Ukrainians, Zelensky’s much-heralded “Spring counteroffensive” last year was unable to breach the Russian front line, thereby solidifying Moscow’s hold over around 25 percent of the nation’s land.

 

The Biden administration chose to further up its support this year despite the counteroffensive’s failure, numerous claims of corruption in the military and Kyiv’s leadership, and the stark difference between the amount of young men at their disposal and their far larger opponent.

 

Congress approved a security supplemental package in April that includes funding for Israel, the Indo-Pacific region, and Ukraine. Of the total, $61.7 billion, Kyiv would receive $64.7 billion.

 

The Biden administration signed a 10-year security agreement with Ukraine in June, pledging to provide US taxpayer funds to support the Kyiv government for the ensuing ten years. As part of the agreement, the G7 supported a plan to utilize Russian assets seized to reimburse the Ukrainians for the interest on a $50 billion debt.

 

It’s unclear if the Trump administration will try to renounce the security agreement after ten years or carry on sending the remaining $175 billion in funding that hasn’t been used up. Mr. Trump has pledged to bring the war to an immediate end, and many analysts believe that this will probably involve putting Zelensky under duress to enter peace talks with threats of withholding US assistance.