department spokesperson, ned price. ned, it is really good to have you. let s talk about where erin, what erin left off with. the f-16s and long range missiles. president zelenskyy is still asking for them. was there anything president biden saw yesterday in kyiv that would change his mind on providing that weaponry? these are always discussions we re having with our ukrainian partners and president biden did have a discussion with president zelenskyy yesterday, but they discussed the security assistance the united states has provided. every time we discuss this with our ukrainian partners, we want to hear what they re facing, where the battle is raging and where it will be in the coming days and weeks and if it goes on that long, we hope not, in the months to come. at the earlest stages, we provided them with what they needed to win the battle of kyiv. antiarmor, antiaircraft. it was the type of artillery.
february 24th. nearly $25 billion since it start of this administration. and at every step of the way as russia s plans have evolved and as they have failed each time, we, too, have changed the ark of what we have provided to ukraine. when it was about the battle of kyiv in the earliest hours and days of president putin s war, we provided stingers and javelins, other air defense systems, other armored tank vehicles, armored vehicles, precisely what the ukrainians needed for that moment. as the battle has moved to the east, as it s moved to the north, as it has taken on that flavor, we ve provided high marks, longer range systems our ukrainian partners can use to target russian systems on their territory. we ve provided a patriot missile system. we ve provided other air defense systems that the ukrainians have used to extraordinary effect
know, tells, i think every american they meet how grateful they really are. our support is crucial. it is the ukrainians who are fighting and dying. it is the ukrainians who are winning battles, whether it s the battle of kyiv, whether it s the battle of kherson. but they are doing it with our assistance, with our essential assistance, whether it is equipment, whether it is training, whether, you know, it is other forms of assistance and i think everybody knows that and that is why the president of ukraine took this very risky and bold move to fly to washington, d.c. to say, thank you and the fight is not over. it will continue and it is important to ukraine, but it is important to the united states. we are in this together. this is our joint battle. yeah. i think he made a very compelling case. every time he is outside or even when he s inside, he s at
it is the cranes who are fighting and dying. it is the ukrainians who are winning battles, whether it s the battle of kyiv, whether it s the battle of kherson. what they are doing it with our assistance, with our essential assistance, whether it is equipment, whether it is training, whether it is other forms of assistance. and i think everybody knows that. and that is why the president of ukraine took this very risky and bold move to fly to washington valley see, to say thank you and the fight is not over. and the fight will continue and it is important to ukraine but also important to the united states we are in this together and this is our joint battle. yeah. i think he made a very compelling case. every time he s outside, or even when he is inside, he is at risk of being killed by the russian military. former u.s. ambassador to
we talk about. but as for the question about russia. look, the only provocateur, the only aggressor is russia and mr. president. he started the war, the one decided to carry it on in a brutal way against the civilian population of ukraine, and what we ve been trying to do, and today s visit will reinforce this again, is make sure that ukraine can defend itself and defend itself against a range of threats. when the war first started, you know, battle of kyiv, everybody says three days. now 300 days in this war, but the focus was on javelin and anti-tank missiles and stinger short-range air defense. that moved over time to more artillery and highmarhighmars an the way russians choosing to do the war. and it s going to change going forward. the united states will stay at it with ukraine. keep this iterative evolution of