Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urges US to approve use of long-range weapons to strike targets inside Russia

Speaking at the end of this week's NATO summit in Washington DC, Zelenskyy praised the alliance for its pledges of military support to Ukraine as it fights Russia, but said battlefield restrictions must be lifted if his country is to succeed, reported The National News.

“If we want to win, if we want to prevail, if we want to save our country and to defend it, we need to lift all the limitations,” Zelenskyy said.

A statement released by the White House said Joe Biden and Zelenskyy met and discussed the state of the battlefield and ongoing US efforts to provide Ukraine with the equipment it needs to defend itself.

Additional package

During the meeting, President Biden announced an additional package of security assistance for Ukraine, which includes a Patriot air defense system, air defense interceptors, and artillery and HIMARS ammunition, the White House said.

This is the eighth security assistance package authorised by President Biden since he signed the national security supplemental.

"The leaders reviewed the concrete outcomes for Ukraine at the NATO Summit, including announcements on F-16s, air defense, and the Ukraine Compact, a shared pledge among more than 20 countries to support Ukraine both now and for the long-term," the White House said in a statement.

Newly elected UK PM promises USD 3.87 bn aid a year to Ukraine

Meanwhile, newly elected British PM Keir Starmer has said his government will spend at least £3bn (USD 3.87 bn) every year on military support for Ukraine for “as long as is it takes” in its conflict with Russia.

Following his first meeting with Zelenskyy, the PM said military aid would continue until at least 2030-31.

The UK has to date promised almost £12bn in support to Ukraine since February 2022, of which £7.1bn is for military assistance. The rest is for humanitarian and economic support, The Guardian reported.

UN General Assembly demands immediate end to Russian aggression in Ukraine

The UN General Assembly on Thursday demanded that Russia immediately cease its aggression against Ukraine and unconditionally withdraw all military forces from Ukrainian territory.

The Assembly also called for an immediate end to attacks against Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure, following weeks of escalation.

The resolution entitled Safety and security of nuclear facilities of Ukraine, including the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was adopted with 99 countries in favour and nine against (Belarus, Burundi, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Eritrea, Mali, Nicaragua, Russia and Syria). Sixty Member States abstained.