White House DEFENDS Biden not going to Ukraine on six-month anniversary of Putin’s invasion

President Joe Biden will speak to Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelensky on Thursday, a senior official announced on the country’s independence day, but still has no plans to visit.

Details of the call emerged after British Minister Boris Johnson made his third trip to wartime Ukraine.

During his visit he saw his name engraved on a plaque marking the ‘Walk of the Brave’ celebrating politicians who have stood with Ukraine against Russia, forcing the White House to face questions about why Biden has yet to make the trip.

John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, said Biden would speak to Zelensky by phone on Thursday.

‘This is the latest in a  string of the conversations he has had with President Zelensky,’ he said.

‘Secretary Blinken has travelled to Kyiv. Secretary Austin has travelled to Kyiv.

‘As you know we have an ambassador there as well. 

‘We have good connectivity with our Ukrainian counterparts.

‘And look, if and when a trip by the president makes the most sense then clearly we’ll appropriately consider that.’

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson made his third visit to Ukraine on Wednesday, as the nation marked the 31st anniversary of independence and six months fighting Russia

Earlier Biden announced another $2.98 billion in arms for Ukraine, six months after Russia invaded and as it marked independence day.   

‘I am proud to announce our biggest tranche of security assistance to date: approximately $2.98 billion of weapons and equipment to be provided through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative,’ he said. 

‘This will allow Ukraine to acquire air defense systems, artillery systems and munitions, counter-unmanned aerial systems, and radars to ensure it can continue to defend itself over the long term.’ 

His was one of a number of announcements by world leaders as they showed solidarity with Zelensky and his nation.

But Johnson, who has only two weeks left in office, upstaged them all by announcing a $63.5 million package during a trip to Kyiv.

‘The UK will continue to stand with our Ukrainian friends. I believe Ukraine can and will win this war,’ he said. 

Johnson is not the only world leader to have made the trip.

French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi visited Kyiv together in June.

They took an 11-hour overnight train from Poland to the Ukrainian capital, one of the only means to get there. Ukrainian airspace has been closed since the invasion began.

Johnson toured Kyiv with Zelensky to see his name on a plaque on the ‘Walk of the Brave’

Austin and Blinken used the same route in April. But in a sign of the risks, Russia attacked several railway lines soon after they had crossed back into Poland on their way home.

Officials and former officials say it all makes a Biden trip far too risky. And that there is a danger that a visit would pull too many Ukrainian security personnel away from fighting Russia.

In the meantime, as the war drags on with no end in sight, U.S. officials are shifting their strategy toward a longer-term campaign, offering funds to train and equip Ukrainian soldiers for years to come. 

Russia now occupies about one fifth of Ukrainian territory and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has made clear he is not willing to give up territory to end the conflict. Vladimir Putin, too, seems intent on pressing forward despite his own massive losses. 

The money will fund contracts for drones, weapons and other equipment that may not see the battlefront for a year or two, sources familiar said, which is sure to rile up Republicans who claim there has been little oversight over funds to Ukraine. 

Earlier shipments, most of them done under Presidential Drawdown Authority, have focused on Ukraine’s more immediate needs for weapons and ammunition and involved materiel that the Pentagon already has in stock that can be shipped in short order. 

The package is intended to both provide longer-term assistance for Ukraine for potential future defense needs and reassure Ukrainian officials that U.S. support remains steadfast. 

Ukrainian State Emergency Service firefighters work to take away debris at a shopping center burned after a rocket attack in Kremenchuk, Ukraine, Tuesday, June 28, 2022

With the added $3 billion, the Biden administration will have offered a total of near $14 billion over the course of 19 aid packages since February. That total is in addition to two separate aid packages, one worth $40 billion and one worth $13.6 billion, Congress has approved for Ukraine. 

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed on Tuesday that the conflict had no end in sight and the two sides were no nearer to the negotiating table. 

‘Winter is coming, and it will be hard, and what we see now is a grinding war of attrition. This is a battle of wills, and a battle of logistics. Therefore we must sustain our support for Ukraine for the long term, so that Ukraine prevails as a sovereign, independent nation,’ Stoltenberg said, speaking at a virtual conference about Crimea, organized by Ukraine. 

U.S. defense leaders are also eyeing plans that will expand training for Ukrainian troops outside their country, and for militaries on Europe’s eastern and southern flanks that feel most threatened by Russia’s aggression.