Biden apologizes to Ukrainian President Zelensky for months-long arms heist

PARIS — President Joe Biden on Friday publicly apologized for the first time to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for the months-long blockage of U.S. military assistance that allowed Russia to make gains on the battlefield.

Speaking in Paris, where they both attended ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, Biden told Zelensky that he had apologized to the Ukrainian people for the weeks in which he did not know whether additional aid would be provided, while Congress waited six months before sending Biden a message. $61 billion military aid package for Ukraine.

Still, Biden insisted that the American people support Ukraine for the long term. “We’re still there. Completely. Thoroughly,” he said.

The United States is by far the largest provider of wartime support to kyiv, and Ukraine is trying to repel an intense Russian offensive in the country's eastern regions.

The offensive is focused on Ukraine's border regions of Kharkiv and Donetsk, but Ukrainian officials say it could expand as the larger Russian army seeks to press its advantage.

The offensive seeks to exploit kyiv's shortage of ammunition and troops along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line.

The arms shortage came after U.S. military aid was held up in Congress for six months before Biden signed into law a $61 billion military aid package for Ukraine in April.

The slow delivery of promised Western weapons has long frustrated Zelensky, as has Biden's hesitance to provide more equipment for fear of provoking Russian President Vladimir Putin. This caused tension in their relationship.

The United States will send about $225 million in military aid to Ukraine, U.S. officials announced Thursday. The latest package includes ammunition for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, as well as mortar systems and a series of artillery shells, officials said.

Softening their stance amid the most recent Russian attack and with Ukraine's military reeling, some NATO allies, including the United States, said last week they would allow Ukraine to use the weapons they deliver to Kiev to carry out limited attacks inside Russia.

The move sparked a furious response from the Kremlin, which warned that Europe's biggest conflict since World War II could spiral out of control.

Biden and Zelensky attended the 80th anniversary of D-Day events in Normandy, northern France, on Thursday alongside European leaders who supported kyiv's efforts in the war.

Biden promised “we will not walk away” from Ukraine, drawing a direct link between the fight to liberate Europe from Nazi rule and the current war against Russian aggression.

Ukraine describes its fight against Kremlin forces as a clash between Western democratic freedom and Russian tyranny. Russia says it is defending itself against a threatening eastward expansion of the NATO military alliance.

In a 20-minute speech Friday to the National Assembly, the lower house of France's parliament, Zelensky drew parallels with the sacrifices made during World War II and his country's current fight.

“This battle is at a crossroads,” Zelensky said. “A moment where we can now write history the way we need to.” Or we can become victims of history as it pleases…our enemy. »

Zelensky, who spoke in Ukrainian, was frequently interrupted by applause and cheers from lawmakers. He drew a standing ovation when he said in French: “Dear France, thank you for standing with us as we defend life. »

French President Emmanuel Macron announced Thursday evening that France would provide Ukraine with its Mirage fighter jet.

Macron is a strong supporter of Ukraine. He said in February that sending Western troops on the ground in Ukraine was not “out of the question.”

Zelensky began a day of meetings in Paris with an official welcome ceremony at the golden-domed Les Invalides monument, site of Napoleon's tomb.

During the day, Zelensky was scheduled to visit the Nexter weapons factory in Versailles, which manufactures the Caesar self-propelled howitzers that are among the weapons supplied by France to kyiv's forces.

He was also due to meet Macron at the Élysée.

Zelensky's foreign trips are aimed at keeping Ukraine's plight in the public eye, securing more military aid for his fight against the Russian invasion, and securing long-term Western support through bilateral alliances.

France and Ukraine signed a 10-year bilateral security agreement in February. Zelensky has since signed similar bilateral agreements with many European countries.