After the fall of Avdiivka in the Russian hand… Biden informed Zelensky that he was confident about renewing US military aid to Ukraine

US President Joe Biden on Saturday held US lawmakers responsible for Russia’s control over the city of Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine, while a dispute between Democrats and Republicans in Congress impedes the approval of $60 billion in military aid that Ukraine desperately needs.

Biden told Zelensky that he was confident that Congress would renew military aid to Kiev, saying that without US help, Kiev may lose more territory to the Russian advance.

“I spoke with Zelensky this afternoon to tell him that I am confident that we will get this money,” Biden told reporters in Delaware.

He considered that the failure of US lawmakers to approve new funding for military aid to Kiev would be ridiculous and immoral.

Biden added, “I will fight to provide them with the ammunition they need”.

Biden called President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday to “affirm the United States’ commitment to continuing to support Ukraine,” according to a White House statement.

The statement said that the Ukrainian withdrawal from Avdiivka came “after the Ukrainian army was forced to ration the use of ammunition due to dwindling supplies as a result of Congress’ inaction, which led to Russia achieving its first noticeable gains in months”.

Biden affirmed “the strong bipartisan support in the US government and among the American people for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” calling on Congress to urgently pass the spending bill, including the aid allocated to Ukraine.

US National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said earlier, “The Ukrainians continue to fight bravely, but their supplies are running out,” adding that Ukraine needs artillery ammunition and other vital equipment.

For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Saturday evening that he had spoken by phone to Biden and discussed with him the situation on the front, stressing his confidence that the US Congress would make a wise decision to release aid to Kiev.

“I am glad that I can count on the full support of the American President… We also trust the wise decision of the US Congress,” Zelensky wrote on his Telegram channel.

The fall of the industrial city of Avdiivka in the Donbas region was an important victory for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Avdiivka, despite its extensive destruction so far, has been a symbol of Ukraine’s resistance to the Russian invasion since 2014.

The statements of US support came at a time when Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken were seeking to reassure Western allies at the Munich Security Conference that Washington’s support for Kiev’s war efforts against the Russian invasion would continue.

With current US funding drying up, Donald Trump’s allies in the House of Representatives have been blocking crucial aid to Ukraine.

Trump, the likely Republican nominee in the November presidential race, opposes aid to Kiev, and recently used his influence to block border reform legislation that would also have allowed additional aid to Ukraine.

Speaking in Munich earlier Saturday alongside Zelensky, Harris said, “Regarding our support for Ukraine, we must be consistent and we cannot play political games”.

In turn, the Kremlin said that Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated, Saturday, the military units that took control of the Ukrainian city of Avdiivka, and the commander of these forces.

The Kremlin website stated that Putin received a report from Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu stating that the army had taken control of the city of Avdiivka.

The Kremlin added in a statement, “The head of state congratulated the Russian soldiers on this success, which is an important victory”.

Russian news agencies reported that Putin sent a telegram to the commander of the group that took control of the city, Colonel-General Andrei Mordvichev.

“I express my gratitude for the outstanding military action demonstrated by all the forces under your direction that participated in the battles of Avdiivka,” Putin said in the telegram.

Russian forces have launched successive attacks to control Avdiivka since mid-October.

Pro-Russian groups took control of it briefly in 2014 when they seized large areas of eastern Ukraine, but Ukrainian forces later regained it.

Control of Avdiivka will likely give Russia a morale boost ahead of next month’s presidential elections, which will almost certainly result in Putin’s victory.

Taking control of the city is also seen as a major step towards Moscow’s control of Donetsk, the pivotal city 20 kilometers to the east, which has been under Russian and allied forces since 2014.