President Joe Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a call on Sunday, the White House confirmed in a press release. Their conversation took place after a tumultuous weekend in Russia that nearly led to a civil war.
“We discussed the course of hostilities and the processes taking place in Russia,” Zelensky said in a tweet. “The world must put pressure on Russia until international order is restored.”
Zelensky added that he thanked Biden for the “unflagging support” of Ukraine amid its ongoing war against Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Part of that support, Zelensky said, was the support of the fighter jet coalition to “protect our skies.”
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“We discussed further expansion of defense cooperation, with an emphasis on long-range weapons,” he said.
In addition to reaffirming “unwavering U.S. support” for Ukraine, the White House said that Biden and Zelenskyy discussed “recent events” that transpired in Russia.
Over the weekend, the mercenary Wagner Group—led by former Putin ally Yevgeny Prigozhin—attempted to stage an insurrection after Prigozhin accused the Russian military of firing on his men. The group claimed to take control of key military sites in Russia, with Prigozhin promising a “march of justice” in Moscow.
But Prigozhin pulled back his forces by Saturday night, striking a deal to leave Russia in exchange for the Kremlin dropping any criminal charges against him for the attempted coup.
After his conversation with Biden, Zelenskyy said in his tweet that he was thankful that the United States would “stand side by side with Ukraine until the full liberation of all our territories within internationally recognized borders.”
