President Biden Vows Continued U.S. Support for Ukraine Amid Holiday Attack
U.S. President Joe Biden has responded to Russia‘s massive strike on Ukraine during Christmas, reassuring that he has directed the Pentagon to escalate weapons supplies to Ukraine. In a statement released by the White House, Biden confirmed that the U.S. has provided hundreds of air defense missiles to Ukraine in recent months, with more en route.
"In the early hours of Christmas, Russia launched waves of missiles and drones against Ukrainian cities and critical energy infrastructure," Biden said. "The goal of this outrageous attack was to deny the Ukrainian people access to heat and electricity this winter and to threaten the safety of their power systems."
Biden underscored that the Ukrainian people "deserve to live in peace and security." He emphasized that the United States and the international community must keep supporting Ukraine until it triumphs over Russian aggression. "The United States will continue relentlessly working to bolster Ukraine’s positions against Russian forces," he added.
On Christmas Eve, Russian forces launched a combined strike on Ukraine’s fuel and energy sector using various air, land, and sea-based missiles, along with Shahed drones and other types of imitation drones. Ukraine’s defense forces downed 55 cruise missiles, four guided air-to-surface missiles, and 54 enemy drones out of 184 aerial targets Russia launched.
As the Biden administration’s term nears an end in January 2025, the Washington Post reported that it may not be able to send all the military aid authorized by Congress to Ukraine. Pentagon officials have noted that they have reached the limit of weapons they can monthly ship to Ukraine without compromising their own readiness, and are facing logistical challenges in deliveries.
Earlier, Biden requested $24 billion more from Congress for military aid to Ukraine and to restock U.S. arms transferred to Kyiv. However, the incoming Congress, with a Republican majority, is unresponsive to this request. Meanwhile, a State Department spokesperson, Matthew Miller, stated that the U.S. believes the military assistance already provided or planned will be sufficient for Ukraine to fight until the end of 2025.
