Zelenskyy on ending US aid: It will only help Putin
No side would benefit from a halt in U.S. aid to Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded when asked about the potential discontinuation of assistance during a conversation with Ukrainian and British press after the March 2 summit in London.
"Ukraine considers the U.S. its strategic partner... We are ready to continue the dialogue. We want to count on new assistance... And I believe that ending such assistance would exclusively help Putin, and that is why I think the U.S.—representatives of the civilized world, leaders of this world—will certainly not help Putin," he said.
Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine continues to receive U.S. aid, but only what was previously approved by Congress. The Americans have not yet considered any new assistance.
He also emphasized that, together with his team, he continues to work on "any challenges" so that the Defense Forces face "no surprises."
Additionally, Zelenskyy told reporters that Ukraine has "significantly increased" its own weapons production. Moreover, production is growing in Europe. According to Zelenskyy, this is one of the important signals of support for Ukraine.
- On March 1, the NYT reported that the United States might stop aiding Ukraine following a heated exchange between Zelenskyy and Trump.
- Ukraine will receive nearly $3 billion from Britain for weapons production, to be paid from frozen Russian assets.
