Biden vows air defense systems for Ukraine after missile attack

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden pledged to Ukraine President Volodomyr Zelenskiy on Monday that the United States will provide Ukraine with advanced air systems after a devastating missile barrage from Russia.

Biden spoke by phone with Zelenskiy to give assurances about continued U.S. support and to condemn the “senseless attacks” from Russia that hit civilian targets.

“President Biden pledged to continue providing Ukraine with the support needed to defend itself, including advanced air defense systems,” a White House statement on the phone call said.

Biden also told Zelenskiy the United States and its allies and partners would continue imposing costs on Russia, “holding Russia accountable for its war crimes and atrocities, and providing Ukraine with security, economic, and humanitarian assistance,” the White House said.

The United States has provided more than $16.8 billion worth of U.S. security assistance since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 and imposed a wide-ranging array of economic sanctions on Moscow over its actions in Ukraine.

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu and Steve Holland; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Alistair Bell and Jonathan Oatis)