US President Joe Biden on Monday slammed Russia for raining down missiles on Ukraine’s Kyiv and other cities. According to the Ukrainian military, Russia launched 84 cruise missiles and at least 14 people were killed in the attacks. Following the attack, Biden also promised to provide advanced air defense systems to Ukraine. According to a statement by the White House, Biden spoke to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and “pledged to continue providing Ukraine with the support needed to defend itself, including advanced air defense systems”.
Zelenskyy wrote on Twitter about his conversation with Biden and said, “Air defense is currently the number 1 priority in our defense cooperation.”
Biden strongly condemned the attack and said the US stands with the people of Ukraine. “These attacks only further reinforce our commitment to stand with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes. Alongside our allies and partners, we will continue to impose costs on Russia for its aggression, hold Putin and Russia accountable for its atrocities and war crimes, and provide the support necessary for Ukrainian forces to defend their country and their freedom,” he said.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened that Russia will go forward with more “severe” attacks after Monday’s missile strikes. This comes after an explosion caused the partial collapse of a bridge linking the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula with Russia.
The Ukrainian side did not claim responsibility for the attack, but it was a significant blow to Russia and Putin had called it an “act of terrorism”.
