US president apologizes to Ukrainian counterpart over delay in passing military aid package

By Nur Asena Erturk

The US president on Friday apologized to his Ukrainian counterpart over the delay in passing a much-needed military aid package for the besieged nation.

“I apologize for the weeks of not knowing what’s going to pass, in terms of funding,” Joe Biden told Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a meeting in Paris.

“We had trouble getting the bill that we had to pass that had the money from some of our very conservative members who were holding it up, but we got it done finally,” he added, referring to Republican Party opposition to the package in the US Congress.

Biden in April signed a sweeping $95 billion spending bill into law funding his top national security priorities, including more than $60.8 billion for Ukraine.

In Paris, the president also announced an additional aid package for Ukraine worth $225 million for the reconstruction of the country's electric grid and praised Ukraine’s resistance.

“You know, you haven't bowed down, you haven't yielded at all, you continue to fight in a way that is remarkable, is just remarkable – and we’re not going to walk away from you,” Biden added, pledging Washington’s continued support for Kyiv.

Biden and Zelenskyy on Thursday attended an international ceremony held by French President Emmanuel Macron to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy, to liberate France during World War II.

Zelenskyy addressed the French parliament earlier Friday.

The military aid was passed after months of obstruction in the US Congress, and Ukrainian losses to Russian forces during that time and afterwards were largely blamed on the lengthy delays.