War in Ukraine at a critical point right now: US President Joe Biden
Washington, Jan 6: The war in Ukraine is at a critical point right now, US President Joe Biden said Thursday as the US and Germany announced additional support for Ukraine.
"Right now, the war in Ukraine is at a critical point. We have to do everything we can to help the Ukrainians resist Russian aggression. And Russia is not attempting to slow up. The actions they're taking are as barbaric as they were a year ago, and they're not letting up at all," Biden told reporters during a Cabinet meeting.
Earlier this afternoon, Biden said, he had a long discussion with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz about Ukraine and their alliances in Europe and the EU.
"We have a much larger contingent of countries that share our view, including Japan and others. But we talked about what we're going to do," he said.
"Today we jointly announced a statement saying that we're going to increase support for Ukraine. We're going to provide the Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles to the Ukrainians, and the Germans are going to provide the Marder Infantry Fighting Vehicles that they have to the Ukrainians," Biden said.
"In addition, we're going to help defend Ukraine against Russian air attacks. Germany has also announced today that it's going to provide the Ukrainians to deal with air attacks, a Patriot air defense system. We're going to provide an additional Patriot air defense battery. They work, and the Russians are beginning to realize that. They function well, and they're helping a lot," he said.
Earlier during a call, Biden and Scholz exchanged views on the ongoing war of aggression waged by Russia against Ukraine and reiterated their support for Ukraine's sovereignty and independence. "They reaffirmed their unwavering solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people in the face of Russia's aggression," the White House said in a readout of the call.
Biden and Scholz expressed their common determination to continue to provide the necessary financial, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support to Ukraine for as long as needed.
"In light of Russia's ongoing missile and drone attacks against Ukraine's critical infrastructure, President Biden and Chancellor Scholz affirmed their intention to further support Ukraine's urgent requirement for air defense capabilities. In late December, the United States announced its donation of a Patriot air defense missile battery to Ukraine. Germany will join the United States in supplying an additional Patriot air defense battery to Ukraine," said the White House.
During the call, Biden and Scholz expressed appreciation for the military support provided by other allies and partners to Ukraine, endorsed the ongoing coordination efforts of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, and welcomed additional donations of air defense systems and combat vehicles.
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Bihar has 'failed' on all parameters during 21 years of NDA rule: Tejashwi
Patna (PTI): Launching a frontal attack on the Bihar government, RJD's national working president, Tejashwi Yadav, on Thursday, alleged that the state has "failed" on all parameters during the 21 years of NDA rule.
His remarks came four days ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls in Bihar on March 16. Six candidates—five from the ruling NDA and one from the RJD are in the fray for five Rajya Sabha seats in Bihar.
In a post on X on Thursday, Yadav wrote, "The NDA government failed on all parameters despite years of a double-engine government. Bihar continues to rank at the bottom of most development indicators even after 21 years of NDA rule."
"Bihar is a unique state where the NDA's double-engine government has been in power for decades, yet the state still performs poorly across several socio-economic indicators. Bihar is the poorest state in the country, has the highest migration, the highest levels of crime and corruption, the highest unemployment, the highest level of multidimensional poverty and highest school dropout rate in the country, lowest literacy rate in the country, and the state has the lowest per capita income in the country," he wrote.
He further claimed that Bihar is the state where farmers' income is lowest in the country, lowest per capita consumption in the country, lowest computer literacy in the country, lowest electricity consumption in the country, lowest basic infrastructure in the country, lowest quality education in the country and the lowest industrial units in the country.
Yadav, who is also Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, said the state is lagging in almost every development indicator. He accused the government of avoiding accountability while running the administration through bureaucratic control, state resources and caste politics.
Ironically, despite being lowest on all development parameters, Bihar is leading in buying expensive gas, leading in buying expensive electricity, leading in buying expensive petrol-diesel, and here buying property is more expensive than in Delhi and Mumbai, he alleged.
State BJP spokesperson, Neeraj Kumar, refuted the charges levelled by Yadav and told PTI, "RJD leader should have compared the current situation in Bihar with the period between 1990 and 2005 when the state was governed by Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi. The condition improved only after the NDA government led by Nitish Kumar came to power in 2005."
