INTERNATIONAL: President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has declared that Ukraine's armed forces were capable of fighting off any attack from Russia as the country marked its national army day on Monday with a display of Unites States’armoured vehicles and patrol boats.
Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says he is proud of their country’s Armed Forces and he sincerely congratulate their defenders and has expressed his gratefulness to the soldiers. He has announced that they have started serial production and supply to the armed forces of Ukraine of the missile systems 'Neptun', the army has received anti-tank missile systems Javelin and counter-artillery systems. For the first time ever, they have launched a comprehensive missile program.
He declares that freedom is the greatest value for all of them and the Armed Forces of Ukraine will continue to fulfill their most important mission, that is to defend the freedom and sovereignty of the state from the Russian aggressor.
U.S. President Joe Biden has pledged his "unwavering support" to Ukraine in its stand-off with Moscow and will hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday to defuse the crisis. The two leaders will discuss U.S. concerns about Russia's military buildup on the Ukraine border and other topics, the U.S. source said. They will also talk about the bilateral ties and the implementation of agreements reached at their Geneva summit in June, the Kremlin has disclosed.Biden will also discuss strategic stability, cyber and regional issues.
Ukraine has accused Russia of massing tens of thousands of troops near its border in preparation for a possible large-scale military offensive, raising the prospect of open war between the two neighbours.
More than 94,000 Russian troops are massed near Ukraine's borders. Ukraine Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov has said on Friday that Moscow may be planning a large-scale military offensive for the end of January, citing intelligence reports.
Biden will underscore U.S. concerns over Russian military activities on the border with Ukraine and reaffirm the United States' support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, the U.S. source said Saturday.
Russia has dismissed talk of a new assault on Ukraine as false and inflammatory but told the West not to cross its "red lines" and to halt the eastward expansion of the NATO alliance.
Several cities across Ukraine are marking the 30th anniversary of the creation of an independent military after winning independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
Kyiv, Lviv and the southern port city of Odessa have displayed U.S.-made Humvees. In Odessa, there was also a ceremony to hand over two recently delivered U.S. Coast Guard patrol boats intended to bolster Ukraine's navy.
Ukraine has urged NATO to accelerate its entry into the military alliance and said Moscow had no right to veto. NATO's leadership has been supportive but said Ukraine must carry out defence reforms and tackle corruption first.
