Rusya’nın saldırıları sonrasında ilk yurt dışı ziyaretini ABD’ye gerçekleştiren Ukrayna Devlet Başkanı Vladimir Zelenski, ABD Başkanı Joe Biden ile ortak basın toplantısında açıklamalarda bulundular. Biden, Rusya’nın silah olarak kışı kullandığını belirterek, “Masum Ukraynalı sivilleri hedef alıyorlar. Rusya’nın hesap vermesi için çabalarımız sürüyor” ifadelerini kullandı. Zelenski ise “Halkımızı korumak zorundayız” diyerek, “Biz spesifik adımlar önerdik. Savunma kapasitelerimizin güçlendirilmesi önemli” şeklinde konuştu.
We talked a lot on the phone, but it was a pleasure to meet face to face,” Biden said:
Leadership, especially in a crisis like this, is inspiring, as you have been. Your coming here comes at a time when President Putin is also stepping up his brutal attacks. Putin has launched an illegitimate attack. I want to say to the Ukrainian people, you have shown how strong you are. They are alone now, but you are not alone. We did not doubt and support came from all over this country. There is something that is in our bones. The people of the United States know that if we stand against such blatant aggression, there will be consequences in the world.
“BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN AID”
Putin attacked with tanks in February. We, the Americans, regularly supplied weapons. We did not do it alone. The US and its allies and partners supported. Sanctions and export restrictions were imposed. More than 50 countries provided more than 800 artillery systems. We have provided billions of dollars in budget aid. We are helping millions of Ukrainians. Communities in Europe have opened their homes and hearts. The United States has opened its doors to hundreds of Ukrainians. This support has played a key role in Ukraine’s success here. Ukraine has frustrated Russia’s expectations at every corner. We know Putin has no intention of stopping the war. I signed the national defense authorization law, a law that allows him to provide defense equipment.
“AMERICA IS ON YOUR SIDE”
We need to be clear about what Russia is doing. They are hitting Ukraine’s infrastructure. Russia is using winter as a weapon. They are targeting innocent Ukrainian civilians. We continue our efforts to hold Russia to account. It will pay the price. We have suffered a lot of unnecessary pain this year. The American people have stood with you every step of the way, and we will stand with you for as long as it takes. Together we will continue to light the flame of freedom.
ZELENSKI: IT WAS A VERY GOOD NEGOTIATION PROCESS
“First of all, I would like to thank the American people,” Zelensky said: “In the last 30 days of the war, a new phase began. We became allies and I felt it in the meetings here. Many thanks to Biden for his support. For his support for Ukraine’s understanding. For his personal efforts and steps. He united his partners and got them behind him. I also want to thank the Congress. I hope to get their support as well. The fight for our freedom continues. Biden announced a new defense package. The strongest element is the Patriot battery systems. This is a very important step, so we can secure our airspace. It was a very good negotiation process. We discussed the process and preparations for next year. Congress will hopefully approve this package. Every dollar of this investment will go to global security.
“WE HAVE TO PROTECT OUR PEOPLE”
In the talks, we talked about how to resist Russian terror. We have to protect our people. We also talked about how to apply legal pressure. It is very important to have a peace formula. we proposed specific steps. we proposed a formula for a peace summit. it is important to strengthen our defense capacities. I don’t want to give more details but I want to thank Biden again.
