Biden says military aid on way to Ukraine right after Senate approval

US President Joe Biden has told his Ukrainian counterpart that a $61 billion (€57 billion) military aid package will be released to Kyiv as soon as it's approved by the Senate.

In a phone call Biden assured Volodymyr Zelenskiy that US economic assistance would help maintain financial stability and build back critical infrastructure.

That phone call came a day after the military aid bill was finally passed by the House of Representatives after several delays. It’s expected to include air defence systems and artillery shells.

It now goes to the Senate where it is expected to pass within days.

Zelenskiy, who was meeting member of Congress in the capital Kyiv, said it was “crucial for our soldiers on the battlefield.”

Meanwhile, EU countries have agreed that Ukraine needs better air defences but stopped short of committing to give Patriot systems to the country.

At a meeting of the bloc’s foreign and defence ministers in Luxembourg, representatives said they preferred to focus on the money they are spending to assist Ukraine.

"I'm sorry, but I don't have Patriots here in Brussels,” said the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

“I want to insist that, a launcher without an interceptor is useless and certainly interceptors without launchers are also useless. Member states came back to their capitals with a clear understanding of the request, of the needs. And I'm sure they will take decisions about it."

So far, only Germany has given a single Patriot missile battery to Ukraine, something the country says it desperately needs to help fend of Russian air strikes.