Volodymyr Zelensky, Joe Biden Discuss US Assistance Following Reports That Russia Rains 20 Air Strikes, 60 Rocket Attacks on Ukraine
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks with US President Joe Biden and the presidents of Turkey and France, to ramp up diplomatic efforts to stop a conflict that Russia launched over ten months ago.

On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and President Joe Biden spoke about the Russian invasion and recent US efforts to bolster Ukraine's air defenses.

According to a statement posted on the website of the Ukrainian Presidency, Zelensky thanked Biden for the expanded and "unprecedented" US support of Ukraine's sovereignty in the face of Russian aggression as well as for the additional $275 million in security assistance that the Pentagon announced Friday.

Zelensky Thanks Biden For 'Unprecedented' Support For Ukraine

The package, which was unveiled last week, consists of weaponry, artillery ammunition, and tools to assist Ukraine improve its air defense. Zelensky said that the "extraordinary defense and financial assistance" from the US allowed "not only to triumph on the battlefield,"but also to "keep the stability of our nation's economy."

According to CNN, Zelensky thanked the US for funding help exclusively for the repair of Ukraine's energy systems while explaining that "Russian missile terror" had caused the destruction of nearly 50% of that country's energy infrastructure. A statement from the White House said Biden also brought up the $53 million package that was released late last month to strengthen Ukraine's electrical grid as it endures a barrage of Russian strikes.

As the morale of common people is being tested by power outages that frequently last longer than 12 hours per day, which could send another wave of Ukrainians into neighboring countries as temperatures drop to extreme lows, Ukraine is scouring the globe to find compatible parts and carry out repairs.

Zelensky talked about his intention to organize a world peace summit as well. In a video address to G20 leaders in Bali last month, he outlined a 10-point peace plan to put a stop to Russia's incursion.

Per The Strait Times, the White House said on Sunday that Biden appreciated his "expressed openness to a just settlement based on basic values inscribed in the United Nations Charter." As described by Zelensky last month, the measures entail a route to nuclear safety, food security, a special court for accused Russian war crimes, and a final peace agreement with Moscow.

Odessa is "among the locations with the most frequent power disruptions," according to Zelensky. In addition, the capital Kyiv, the Kyiv region, four regions in western Ukraine, and the Dnipropetrovsk region in the center of the nation all reported "extremely severe" power supply circumstances.

According to Zelensky, efforts to get energy back to the broader public were ongoing. Russia has been employing heavy missile and drone strikes against Ukraine's energy infrastructure since October. In February, Russian soldiers entered Ukraine as part of what Moscow refers to as a "special military operation" to eliminate what it sees as a possible danger to national security.

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Russia-Ukraine War

Russia is accused by Ukraine and its supporters of starting an unprovoked conflict to annex land from its ally. In the midst of a two-day aerial assault of the nation, Zelensky recently said in his nightly address that Russian forces had "destroyed" the eastern city of Bakhmut.

Russia is apparently fighting to regain control of the territories it unlawfully seized in September by launching missile, rocket, and air attacks around the nation during the past 48 hours.

Bakhmut has watched as Russia has been bombing nonstop for the past two days in an effort to take control of the area. Over 60 rocket assaults and 20 airstrikes were recorded in Ukraine between Friday, December 9, and Saturday, December 10, with Bakhmut suffering the most.

Although more than 20 populous areas came under fire at the end of the week, some buildings can still be observed to be standing and people can still be seen walking the streets. When combat broke out in May, it was determined that the city was a crucial staging area for assaults farther into Donbas since it is situated at a significant supply route crossing.

Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson were unlawfully acquired by Russia in September 2022, and since then, the areas have been strategically and symbolically significant to Putin's military effort, as per Daily Mail. According to the president of the local council in Odesa, a significant Black Sea port city to the west, drone assaults overnight reportedly left much of the area without electricity.

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