Putin Pledges Unlimited Funds for War as Zelensky Appeals to U.S. for Cash

Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged on Wednesday that the nation's military will have unlimited funding as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky travels to the U.S. in hopes of additional aid for the ongoing war.

According to Reuters, Putin delivered a speech to Russia's Ministry of Defense and said, "We have no funding restrictions. The country and the government are providing everything that the army asks for."

"I ask the Ministry of Defense to be attentive to all civilian initiatives, including taking into account criticism and responding correctly, in a timely manner," Putin added in his speech, Reuters reported.

The comments by Putin come just before Zelensky's visit to the U.S. amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine that has lasted for nearly 10 months after Putin announced the "special military operation" on February 24.

"On my way to the US to strengthen resilience and defense capabilities of [Ukraine]. In particular, @POTUS and I will discuss cooperation between [Ukraine] and [U.S.]. I will also have a speech at the Congress and a number of bilateral meetings," Zelensky wrote in a tweet on Wednesday.

Ahead of U.S. President Joe Biden's meeting with Zelensky, the White House said that the president "will announce a significant new package of nearly $2 billion of security assistance for Ukraine."

According to the statement, the package for Ukraine will include a Patriot missile battery, which the White House said, "will be a critical asset to defend the Ukrainian people against Russia's barbaric attacks on Ukraine's critical infrastructure."

As the war between Ukraine and Russia has continued, the U.S. has repeatedly provided Ukraine with military, humanitarian and economic assistance. According to data from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, through November 20, the U.S. has provided Ukraine with about $48 billion, which includes $22.9 billion in military aid.

Prior to his visit to the U.S., Zelensky traveled to Bakhmut, which he said has become "the hottest spot on the entire frontline."

"Since May, the occupiers have been trying to break our Bakhmut, but time goes by and Bakhmut is already breaking not only the Russian Army but also the Russian mercenaries who came to replace the wasted army of the occupiers," Zelensky said during a televised speech on Monday.

Bakhmut is near the region of Donetsk, which was previously annexed by Putin and is currently under Russian control.

"This standoff over Bakhmut is really telling, because it shows how the Russians overestimated their own strength," Roman Kostenko, a commander in the Ukrainian army, told Newsweek this month.

Newsweek reached out to the ministry of foreign affairs in Russia and Ukraine for comment.