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Biden apologizes to Zelensky for delay in approving Ukraine aid package
U.S. President Joe Biden, right, meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris, France, on June 7. (Photo: Ivan Vuchy/AP).
US President Joe Biden apologised to his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky for delays in approving a new military aid package earlier this year, which was slowed by Republican opposition in Congress.
Biden apologized when announcing a new aid package to Ukraine in a bilateral meeting with Zelensky this Friday.
“You know, you haven’t bowed down, you haven’t given up at all, you continue to fight in a way that is absolutely extraordinary, absolutely extraordinary, and we’re not going to back down from you,” Biden told the Ukrainian president.
“I apologize for not knowing for several weeks what was going to happen in terms of funding, because we had trouble passing a bill that had money in it from some of our very conservative members who were holding it up, but we got it done.”
Biden used the occasion to highlight Friday’s funding announcement, as well as additional funding Ukraine has received since he signed the supplemental in April.
“Since then, including today, I have announced six significant funding packages; today I’m also signing an additional package of $225 million to help rebuild the power grid,” he said.
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