US seeing increased Russian missile, drone attacks on Ukraine: White House
Zelenskyy's Tuesday visit is opportunity for President Biden to get update on situation on battlefront, says spokesman
WASHINGTON
The US is seeing increased missile and drone attacks in Ukraine, said the White House on Monday.
"As winter approaches, we're seeing now increased missile and drone attacks by the Russian armed forces against civilian infrastructure," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters en route to the city of Philadelphia.
Discussing a meeting between President Joe Biden and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy set for Tuesday, Kirby said Zelenskyy's visit is an opportunity for Biden to get an update on the situation on the battlefront. It is also a chance for Biden to reiterate the US' continued support, "particularly at this very difficult time," he added.
He said the US expects the Russian attacks will continue, particularly against energy infrastructure, and Russian forces continue to try to take offensive action against Ukrainians in the east.
The Tuesday meeting comes amid ongoing negotiations between Democrats and Republicans over a supplemental request for funding for Ukraine and Israel.
Kirby said Biden will "continue to make clear his case for why additional funding for Ukraine and Israel is vital to our own national security interests at this time, and he'll keep urging the negotiations forward urging compromise for the goal of getting these all these national security issues fully funded as we need."
Zelenskyy's visit on Tuesday marks his third to Washington since the war in Ukraine began in February 2022. Last week, the White House expressed alarm over the imminent exhaustion of funding, likely to run out by the end of the year.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said the stakes are high for Ukraine, stressing that the US is running out of funding for Ukraine.
"This is a time to really step up, because if we don’t, we know what happens. (Russian President Vladimir) Putin will be able to move forward with impunity, and we know he won't stop in Ukraine," he said on Sunday.
Separately, at least four people were injured early Monday in a Russian airstrike in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said.
Klymenko said the victims were hurt by falling debris in the southeastern Darnytskyi district, where 10 rescuers and two units of basic fire rescue equipment are working.
