U.S. dismisses report of Kyiv embassy drawdown after Russia warning; Zelenskyy pens Trump letter asking for air defense - BERITAJA

The United States connected Thursday reiterated that its diplomats remained successful Kyiv contempt Russia’s escalating threats, dismissing a proposal from the European Union’s apical diplomat that Washington had evacuated the Ukrainian capital.

The restated American committedness to the metropolis came arsenic President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote a uncommon letter, appealing to President Donald Trump and Congress for much aerial defenses.

Russia had urged overseas diplomats to evacuate Kyiv earlier this week, vowing further “systematic” strikes following 1 of the about aggravated bombardments connected the superior since the commencement of the warfare successful 2022.

The caller threat from Moscow raised fears successful the city. Ukraine’s European friends refused to leave, and the State Department told Beritaja earlier this week location was nary alteration to the U.S. beingness successful Kyiv.

But connected Thursday the E.U. overseas argumentation main Kaja Kallas suggested otherwise.

“What we heard from Ukraine yesterday was that each the embassies stayed, isolated from one, truthful that besides takes courageousness from those embassies, but yes, each the European stayed, America left,” she told reporters up of a overseas ministers gathering successful Cyprus.

The U.S. embassy successful Kyiv issued a swift consequence denying this and confirming that it was besides staying put. “There are nary changes to our operations and reports different are false,” the embassy said successful a station connected X.

Ukraine besides denied that American diplomats had evacuated the capital.

The charismatic transcript of Kallas’ comments was subsequently amended to region the proposal Americans had near the city. A statement said it was “updated pinch a correction pinch respect to the negotiated beingness successful Kyiv.” Kallas’ spokesperson Anitta Hipper told Beritaja that “this was a misunderstanding. See the correction posted.”

Zelenskyy pens missive to Trump and Congress

Meanwhile Zelenskyy wrote to Trump and Congress asking for much American-made air defense ammunition.

“It is rather uncommon for the leader of different authorities to reside some the President and Congress of the United States simultaneously pinch a letter,” Zelenskyy said successful his nightly address. “But the business now requires action, swift and effective action. It is important that America perceive Ukraine.”

The Ukrainian leader urged Trump and Congress successful the letter, which was obtained by The Associated Press, to proviso much Patriot PAC-3 missiles and different aerial defense systems, informing that deliveries to Ukraine were falling dangerously short arsenic the Iran warfare diverts U.S. stocks.

Ukraine has pounded Russian targets, especially lipid facilities and manufacturing plants, pinch its domestically produced drones successful caller months.

At the aforesaid time, the Russian subject has intensified its aerial attacks, firing almost 90 missiles arsenic good arsenic hundreds of drones astatine Kyiv past weekend successful an effort to overwhelm aerial defenses.