On Thursday, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced that Japan will provide $4.5 billion to Ukraine to support its conflict with Russia. This includes $1 billion that will be specifically allocated for humanitarian assistance.

In his daily address on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude for Japan’s unwavering support and principles towards his country and its people. He also noted that Japan’s decision to offer assistance was both timely and greatly appreciated.

According to the governor of Ukraine’s Odesa region, a drone strike carried out by Russia resulted in the death of one individual and caused damage to the port infrastructure. The incident occurred on Thursday.

According to Oleh Kiper, Odesa was subjected to an attack lasting two hours. He also mentioned that although air defenses successfully intercepted the majority of the Russian drones involved, a few were able to penetrate through.

The victim was determined to be a truck driver by the speaker. The drone strike caused damage to a warehouse, elevator, and nearby trucks along the Danube River.

The Ukrainian military reported that Russia launched an aerial assault using 18 drones to target Odesa in southern Ukraine and the Khmelnytskyi region in the western part of the country.

The military reported that Ukrainian air defenses successfully took down 15 out of 18 drones.

U.S. aid

On Wednesday, Republican members of the U.S. Senate prevented the approval of $110 billion in assistance for Ukraine and Israel, as well as certain security measures for the southern border of the United States.

President Joe Biden requested nearly $106 billion from Congress to finance military operations and border security.

On Wednesday, the vote resulted in 49 in favor and 51 against, falling short of the required 60 votes to move forward.

Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the Senate, is in favor of providing aid to Ukraine. However, he advised his fellow party members to reject the proposed aid package because it lacked necessary policy changes that have been a source of disagreement among lawmakers for a long time.

On Wednesday, Biden urged Congress to provide additional military support to Ukraine. He warned that not doing so would be a significant advantage for Russian President Vladimir Putin in his ongoing conflict with the neighboring nation, which has been going on for almost two years.

Simultaneously, the Department of Defense in the United States revealed fresh security support for Ukraine, marking the Biden administration’s 52nd provision of equipment for the country since August 2021. This assistance includes air defense capabilities, artillery ammunition, anti-tank weapons, and other equipment.

The Pentagon and State Department have confirmed that the military aid package, valued at $175 million, consists of guided missiles for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), anti-armor systems, and high-speed anti-radiation missiles.

In a brief statement at the White House, the American leader stated that if Putin succeeds in conquering Ukraine, it will not end there. He also warned that Moscow may potentially invade other NATO countries, which the U.S. is obligated to protect.

Biden stated that in the event of an attack on NATO, American troops would engage in combat against Russian troops. It is essential that Putin does not emerge victorious in such a situation.

Biden stated that the latest batch of aid will provide security assistance to Ukraine and is a wise investment in our national security. This aid will help prevent a larger conflict in the region and discourage possible aggression in other areas.

Certain Republican legislators in both the Senate and House of Representatives have stated that they will not support the provision of further aid to Ukraine unless there are significant enhancements made to the U.S.-Mexico border, such as preventing all unauthorized immigration.

Biden expressed his support for implementing effective measures at the border to address the issues within the immigration system. However, he also urged for finding a middle ground with Republican opponents, rather than entirely agreeing to their demand of closing the border.

The president stated that Republicans must choose between a political or genuine solution. It is necessary to reach a compromise.

The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and Reuters provided some of the information for this story.

Source: voanews.com