Zelensky: Slow U.S. aid hampers eastern Ukraine's defense against Russia

President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, admits that U.S. aid is arriving slowly in his country. Therefore, Kyiv cannot effectively defend the eastern part of the country. "Russia understands this perfectly. They are doing what they did with Kharkiv and heading north to stretch the front," he said in an interview with the British "The Guardian".

Zelensky further mentioned in the interview that American aid is arriving too slowly.

"From this amount, I think, very little has been delivered so far, in my opinion," he said. He noted that this causes problems with reserve brigades and rotation.

"Russia understands this perfectly. They are doing what they did with Kharkiv and heading north to stretch the front. They know we have personnel shortages, they know we can't send reserves without the right weapons," he emphasised. The Russians are "stretching" the front to facilitate achieving their main goal: taking over eastern Ukraine.

"If the weapons were sufficient, then we would equip reserve brigades and would not withdraw our forces from Donbas, and we could respond with long-range forces in the Kharkiv region," he added.

In April, U.S. President Joe Biden signed a bill on aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan worth £76 billion. Ukraine alone will receive equipment and weaponry worth nearly £49 billion.