Kiev:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday he was confident the US would not “betray” his country by withholding crucial war funding in the fight against a Russian invasion.
Aid to Ukraine has been suspended by Republicans in the US Congress, and the White House has warned that aid will run out by the end of the year if it is not extended.
“We are working very hard on this, and I am sure that the United States of America will not betray us, and that what we agreed on in the United States will be fully fulfilled,” Zelenskiy said at a televised news conference in Kiev.
He added that financial support is crucial for Ukraine's defense against Moscow's large-scale attack, which has lasted almost two years and shows no signs of abating.
“They should know, our American partners, that we are waiting for this help. They know the details of what it is needed for, how it will affect the situation,” he said.
He also said he expected the European Union to soon approve a 50 billion euro aid package. EU leaders approved the start of membership negotiations, but Hungary blocked the aid package.
“I am convinced that we have already achieved all this,” Zelenskiy said. “The question now is a matter of time.”
Ukraine hopes to close a $43 billion budget deficit next year, largely with foreign aid, including 18.5 billion euros from the European Union and more than $8 billion from a US package that also includes essential military aid.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)