Ukraine war, day 880: Zelensky thanks Biden for “unwavering support”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Joe Biden at the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, May 21, 2023

Sunday’s coverage: Kyiv repels Russian attacks, but killings continue in northeast and south

Map: Institute for War Research

In a letter posted on social media on Sunday, Biden announced his withdrawal from the 2024 U.S. presidential election campaign.

Zelensky tweeted: “We respect today’s tough but decisive decision.”

He supported our country at the most dramatic moment in history, helped us prevent Putin’s occupation of our country, and continued to support us throughout the course of this terrible war.

Zelenskyj looked forward to the competition between the Democratic successor, who is expected to become President Kamala Harris, and Donald Trump, who has threatened to cut off US aid to Ukraine:

The current situation in Ukraine and across Europe is no less challenging, and we sincerely hope that continued strong American leadership will allow Russian evil to succeed or see its aggression bear fruit.

Zelensky spoke to Trump last Friday and said the two men had agreed to meet in person to discuss “what steps can create a just and truly lasting peace.”

Ukraine is grateful to President Biden for his unwavering support of the Ukrainian struggle for freedom, which has been and remains critical, along with strong bipartisan support in the United States.

Many important decisions have been made in recent years and they will…

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володиmir Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 21, 2024