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US President Joe Biden has apologised to his counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky for delays in military aid to Ukraine and has pledged $225m (\u00a3191m) in support.<\/p>\n
The pair met for talks in Paris, a day after they both attended the 80th anniversary commemorations of the D-Day landings in Normandy, France.<\/p>\n
The US Department of Defense said the new aid package would include ammunition and anti-aircraft missiles.<\/p>\n
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.<\/p>\n
Mr Biden said previous delays in aid had been caused by some Republicans in Congress, but reiterated US support for Ukraine.<\/p>\n
“The United States will stand with you,” Mr Biden told Mr Zelensky. “You haven’t bowed down. You haven’t yielded at all. You continue to fight in a way that is just remarkable, just remarkable.”<\/p>\n
In response, Mr Zelensky stressed the importance of his country’s relationship with the US, saying it was crucial in the fight against Russia: “We count on your continuing support in staying with us shoulder to shoulder.”<\/p>\n
After meeting Mr Zelensky, Mr Biden made a passionate speech at Pointe Du Hoc, a site in Normandy where US army rangers scaled a cliff to storm a Nazi stronghold on D-Day.<\/p>\n
The US president spoke about the sacrifice of those who lost their lives on 6 June 1944, saying: “Does anyone doubt that they would want America to stand up against Putin’s aggression here in Europe today?”<\/p>\n
“They’re asking us to do our job: to protect freedom in our time, to defend democracy, to stand up to aggression abroad and at home,” he added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Earlier in the day, Mr Zelensky addressed the French parliament, saying the current conflict with Russia meant Europe was “unfortunately no longer a continent of peace”.<\/p>\n
He also expressed hope that a summit hosted in Switzerland later this month could help bring an end to the war.<\/p>\n
The Ukrainian president is due to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron during his visit.<\/p>\n
Speaking on French TV on Thursday evening, Mr Macron said Paris would send Mirage 2000 fighter jets to Ukraine and train Ukrainian pilots. He said training could begin this summer.<\/p>\n
“You need normally between five, six months. So by the end of the year there will be pilots. The pilots will be trained in France,” he said.<\/p>\n
Mr Macron also said Western allies would consider a request to send military instructors to train Ukrainian forces on the ground.<\/p>\n
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the French president’s comments showed that he was willing to take a “direct” role in the Ukraine conflict.<\/p>\n
Friday’s developments come a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Moscow could arm countries<\/a> with a view to attacking Western targets.<\/p>\n Mr Putin made the statement while criticising the West’s delivery of long-range weapons to Ukraine. He did not specify which countries Moscow could supply with weapons.<\/p>\n Several countries including the US have given Ukraine the green light to strike targets inside Russia.<\/p>\n