'We will not waver:' Biden reaffirms U.S. support for Ukraine as Zelenskyy pushes to join NATO

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden galvanized NATO allies and reaffirmed U.S. committedness to Ukraine Wednesday arsenic Russia's devastating war connected its neighbour marches past its 500th day.

Biden, who faces reelection adjacent twelvemonth and has committed the lion's stock of subject assistance for Ukraine, described enactment for Kyiv's combat for ideology "the calling of our lifetime."

In the astir 18 months since Russian troops poured implicit Ukrainian borders, marking the largest air, onshore and oversea struggle since World War II, the U.S. has unleashed a warfare thorax worthy much than $41 cardinal to bolster Kyiv.

"We did what we ever do, the United States stepped up, NATO stepped up and our partners successful the Indo-Pacific stepped up," Biden said successful an code from Vilnius, Lithuania.

"We volition not waver," helium said, promising that the U.S. volition proceed to enactment Ukraine "for arsenic agelong arsenic it takes."

Biden's code follows a two-day high-level gathering of NATO leaders gathered successful Lithuania's capital, wherever subordinate countries made information guarantees for Ukraine. The allies welcomed the accomplishment of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who reiterated calls to articulation NATO and vowed that its rank would marque the world's astir almighty subject confederation stronger.

Ukraine has sought NATO rank since 2002. It is bordered by 4 NATO allies: Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania. 

In September, Zelenskyy applied for a fast-track rank to articulation NATO. He has since visited respective European capitals to garner enactment for Kyiv's bid.

Zelenskyy's calls were overshadowed by the announcement connected the archetypal time of the acme that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to support Sweden's bid to articulation the NATO alliance.

Last May, Sweden and Finland began the ceremonial process of applying to NATO, which requires support from each 30 members of the alliance. In April, Finland joined the alliance. Following this summit, Sweden is acceptable to go the group's 32nd member.