Biden announces $225 million energy aid package for Ukraine.
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Become a member Support us just onceEditor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated. U.S. President Joe Biden announced an aid package for Ukraine worth £225 million during a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, in Paris on June 7, CNN's correspondent Natasha Bertrand reported.
Zelensky thanked Biden for the newly pledged assistance during the talks, which were also attended by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Although the Associated Press (AP) reported on June 6 that the package should include military support, Biden revealed that the funding will be allocated to restore Ukraine's power grid.
"Today I'm also signing an additional package for £225 million to help you reconstruct the electric grid," Biden said. The two presidents met while visiting France for the 80th D-Day commemorations. On June 1, the U.S. gave Ukraine permission to use American-supplied weapons, including HIMARS rockets, to strike targets in Russia located near the border with Kharkiv Oblast.
In recent days, Ukraine's Armed Forces have reportedly used U.S.-supplied weapons to strike targets inside Russia.
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Speaking to French TV after the end of the 80th anniversary of D-Day commemorations in Normandy, the French president also said his country would train Ukrainian pilots.
