Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a speech on Sunday that nothing would weaken his country’s aid against Russia, a day after the US Congress passed a temporary funding bill that does not include support for Ukraine. Meanwhile, Joe Biden on Sunday called on Republicans in Congress to support a bill to provide more aid to Ukraine, saying he was “tired” of the political wrangling that nearly led to a government shutdown. The Minister of Defense of Kyiv, Rustem Umerov, said that he spoke on the phone with the US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, from whom he received assurances about the continuation of military aid.

Basic information about the war in Ukraine, day 586, LIVETEXT:

07:33 European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the bloc would increase military support for Ukraine after the US Congress on Saturday night passed a temporary funding bill that does not include aid to Ukraine.

During a visit to Kyiv, Borrell said that in the context of an “existential threat to Europe,” the “offer on the table” shows the EU’s desire to increase military aid to Ukraine.

“We will see what happens in the US, but for our part we will continue to support and increase our support,” Borrell said when asked about the vote in Washington.

A quick summary of the latest information:

• Joe Biden asked Congress to quickly approve aid to Ukraine after it was not included in a deal that averted a US government shutdown. “We cannot under any circumstances allow American support for Ukraine to end,” Biden said. American senators from both major parties came out with a statement of support for Kyiv, saying that Washington will continue to provide critical support to Ukraine.
• Defender of Ukraine Day was celebrated in Ukraine, veterans were honored and the memory of those killed during the Russian invasion was commemorated. “Difficult times made us strong. And the strong bring the moments of victory closer. Step by step. Today, tomorrow, every day, every minute,” Zelenskyy said.
• Slovakia’s aid to Kyiv is under threat after former Prime Minister Robert Fico’s left-wing Smer-SD party won parliamentary elections. In the election campaign, he promised to stop sending weapons to Ukraine, to block Kyiv’s possible accession to NATO, and to oppose sanctions against Russia.
• Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev suggested on Sunday that British soldiers training the Ukrainian military in Ukraine would be legitimate targets for Russian forces, as would German factories that make Taurus missiles if they supply Kiev.
• British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said there are no current plans to deploy military instructors to Ukraine, distancing himself from his Defense Secretary Grant Shapps, who suggested British troops could train in Ukraine.
• Three cargo ships left Ukraine’s Black Sea ports on Sunday after loading, according to MarineTraffic data, the latest since Kyiv created a temporary “humanitarian corridor”.
• Figures showing a rise in Russian military spending in 2024 suggest Moscow is preparing for “several years of fighting in Ukraine”, Britain’s Ministry of Defense said. Documents apparently leaked from the Russian Ministry of Defense showed that the country’s defense spending is likely to rise to about 30% of total government spending in 2024.
• How Cubans came to support the Moscow military machine and be recruited to fight for Russia.
• Two Ukrainians face seven years in prison after police caught them hiding a Russian missile system and ammunition worth €765,000.
• Italian bank Intesa Sanpaolo has received permission from Russian President Vladimir Putin to sell or dispose of its assets in Russia, according to a document published on the Russian government’s website on Friday.

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• Sunday’s events related to Russian aggression were broadcast LIVE on HotNews.ro