US President Joe Biden assured his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, that he would oppose Russian expansion in Eastern Europe and would support Ukraine against Moscow’s aggression. Biden and Zelensky first met at the White House on Wednesday, after a few phone calls earlier this year.
At the end of August, Zelensky confirmed that he is in an international summit Claiming Crimeaannexed by neighboring Russia seven years ago. “The countdown to the end of the occupation has begun,” he said. Zelensky is seeking support from the United States for this. He also wants clarification from his American colleague regarding Ukraine’s membership in NATO. Biden in return is demanding, among other things, a tougher approach to corruption and more democratic reforms.
Ukraine is also concerned about the Nordstream 2 gas pipeline. At the moment, Ukraine is an important transit country for gas from Russia to Europe, but Nordstream 2 goes to Germany via the Baltic Sea. Ukraine fears that if gas is no longer pumped through the country, Russia could use Nord Stream 2 as an energy vehicle.
Biden came up with $60 million to support Ukraine’s security. The United States had already pledged 400 million earlier this year.
corruption case
Zelensky is in a great position vis-à-vis the United States. He played a major role in the first impeachment case against former US President Donald Trump. In 2019, he urged Zelensky to investigate Biden and his son Hunter over possible corruption. Hunter Biden served on the board of a Ukrainian energy company accused of corruption from 2014 to 2019. If Zelensky refuses to comply with the request, Trump will freeze $400 million in military aid to Ukraine.
Unlimited free access to Showbytes? And that can!
Sign in or create an account and never miss a thing from the stars.
