Por Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON, 21 dic (Reuters) – Los estadounidenses de origen ucraniano en Washington vieron la visita del presidente Volodymyr Zelenskiy a Estados Unidos como una señal prometedora que mostraba fuertes relaciones entre los países, pero también instaba a una mayor asistencia estadounidense para defenderse de la invasión rusa.

Docenas de activistas pro-ucranianos se reunieron cerca de la Casa Blanca el miércoles por la tarde cuando Zelenskiy visitó Washington para su primer viaje al extranjero conocido públicamente desde la invasión de Rusia el 24 de febrero. El grupo llamado “Activistas ucranianos estadounidenses” luego se dirigió al Capitolio de los Estados Unidos para el discurso de Zelenskiy. al Congreso.

Estados Unidos proporcionará $ 1.85 mil millones en asistencia militar adicional para Ucrania, incluido un Sistema de Defensa Aérea Patriot, dijeron el presidente Joe Biden y el secretario de Estado Antony Blinken. Desde la invasión rusa de Ucrania, Estados Unidos ha comprometido alrededor de $21,200 millones en asistencia militar para Kyiv.

“A largo plazo, ayudar a Ucrania permitirá a Estados Unidos preservar la seguridad nacional”, dijo a Reuters Catherine Pedersen, miembro de la junta del grupo Activistas Ucranianos de Estados Unidos. “Es esa situación incómoda en la que estás increíblemente agradecido por el apoyo (de Estados Unidos), pero se necesita más”, agregó.

Otra ucraniana estadounidense, Oleksandra Kepple, investigadora de la Universidad de Maryland, dijo que la asistencia actual de Estados Unidos a Ucrania aún no era suficiente para que Kyiv ganara.

Información de Kanishka Singh en Washington; Editado por Himani Sarkar

más aquí https://www.reuters.com/world/ukrainian-americans-see-zelenskiy-visit-promising-sign-urge-more-us-support-2022-12-22/

Ukrainian Americans see Zelenskiy visit as promising sign, urge more U.S. support

By Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON, Dec 21 (Reuters) – Ukrainian Americans in Washington saw President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s U.S. visit as a promising sign that displayed strong relations between the countries but also urged more American assistance to defend against the Russian invasion.

Dozens of pro-Ukrainian activists gathered near the White House on Wednesday afternoon as Zelenskiy visited Washington for his first publicly known foreign trip since Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24. The group called “U.S. Ukrainian Activists” then headed to the U.S. Capitol for Zelenskiy’s address to the Congress.

The United States will provide $1.85 billion in additional military assistance for Ukraine, including a Patriot Air Defense System, President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, America has committed about $21.2 billion in military assistance to Kyiv.

“In the long term, helping Ukraine will enable the U.S. to preserve national security,” Catherine Pedersen, a board member of the U.S. Ukrainian Activists group, told Reuters. “It’s that awkward situation where you are incredibly grateful for (U.S.) support, but there is need for more,” she added.

Another Ukrainian American, Oleksandra Kepple, a researcher at the University of Maryland, said the current U.S. assistance to Ukraine was not yet sufficient for Kyiv to win.

“I obviously appreciate U.S. assistance. Its enough to survive but not yet enough to win,” Kepple said.

Ukrainian-American Katrina Durbak, an urban planning, housing and climate change policy analyst, echoed the sentiment.

“Ukrainians are asking for aid and assistance. Had the U.S. provided the assistance sooner, more lives could have been saved,” Durbak said, adding that Zelenskiy’s trip could help make a case for more aid.

Russia says it is waging a “special military operation” in Ukraine to rid it of nationalists and protect Russian-speaking communities. Ukraine and the West describe the Kremlin’s actions as an unprovoked war of aggression.

Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Himani Sarkar

More from the original source: https://www.reuters.com/world/ukrainian-americans-see-zelenskiy-visit-promising-sign-urge-more-us-support-2022-12-22/