JULY 9, 2024 – President Joe Biden is hosting leaders from 38 countries in Washington this week for a summit that marks the 75th anniversary of the NATO alliance.
White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby said today there will be a meeting of the NATO Ukraine Council on Thursday, after which Biden will host an event with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and nearly two dozen allies and partners, including the United States, who have security agreements with Ukraine.
Since the passage of the supplemental military assistance package in April, Biden has authorized a total of seven security packages to help Ukraine, including five drawdowns of munitions and equipment.
Since those packages were delivered, the situation on the ground has stabilized, Kirby said.
Ukrainian forces have successfully stopped Russia’s attack north of Kharkiv, denying Russia the ability to take that city and limiting Russian gains to areas just across the border, and elsewhere, he said, including in Zaporizhzhia.
“Throughout these last three months, the Russians have attacked relentlessly across all … fronts, and the price that they have paid for the few meters that they have gained here and there has been extensive: heavy casualties, destroyed equipment, disrupted supply lines, degraded morale. The people of Ukraine have, yet again, demonstrated that when supplied and when supported by the international community and the United States,” they can hold off the largest army in Europe, he said.
Russia continues to bombard frontline towns with massive and low-accuracy glide bombs and missiles, harming civilians, he said.
The United States and several of its allies will have several big announcements at this week’s summit regarding strengthening their military and political partnerships with Ukraine, he said.
By David Vergun, DOD News