Smoke rises from the grounds of the Azovstal steel plant in the city of Mariupol on April 29, 2022. (ANDREY BORODULIN / AFP)
KIEV – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday that he had discussed defensive support for Ukraine with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The two sides talked about the situation on the battlefield and the blocked city of Mariupol in eastern Ukraine, Zelensky said on Twitter, adding necessary diplomatic efforts to achieve peace was another topic of the conversation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also said he had discussed defense cooperation in a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron
Earleir in he day, the Ukrainian leader said he had discussed defense cooperation in a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron .
Meanwhile, Ukraine has appropriated billions of US dollars to the defense ministry amid the ongoing conflict with Russia, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Friday.
The Ukrainian government has allocated 119 billion hryvnias (about $4 billion) for the ministry, Shmyhal said on Telegram. "We are trying to provide maximum support for our fighters."
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The funds will be used to pay salaries to Ukrainian troops, and supply them with equipment, fuel, food, protective devices and weapons, Shmyhal said.
