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Zelensky urges U.S. to send weapons quickly ahead of Russian offensive

The Ukrainian leader praised the House of Representatives for passing a long-debated aid package and urged the Senate to act so weapons reach front-line forces ‘as soon as possible’

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April 21, 2024 at 1:01 p.m. EDT
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on April 11. (Toms Kalnins/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)
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Following passage in the House of a major military aid package for Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that his country will only be able to repel an anticipated Russian offensive if the U.S. weapons arrive quickly.

Zelensky said his forces are preparing for a significant battle in the east of the country, where Russia aims to capture the city of Chasiv Yar by May 9, the holiday when Russia marks the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi forces in World War II.