The Ukrainian president announced that this aid was “being coordinated” and that “150 firefighters are already ready” to leave for Los Angeles, where several fires have been ravaging the city and its surroundings for five days.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed on Sunday evening to send Ukrainian firefighters to California, in the United States, where fires are ravaging the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he had instructed his Interior Minister “to prepare the possible participation of our rescuers in the fight against fires in California». «The situation there is extremely difficult, and Ukrainians can help Americans save lives“, he said in a video published on X, adding that this help was “currently being coordinated” and that “150 firefighters are already ready».
Besieged by flames since Tuesday, Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the United States, continues to count its dead: the toll increased Sunday evening to 24 dead, according to the Los Angeles County forensic medicine service.
American aid to kyiv
The city is still grappling with flames on Sunday, with fires continuing to gain ground, while even more violent winds are forecast for Tuesday. Firefighters sometimes had to deal with empty hydrants or low pressure. Friday, their leader pointed out the insufficient budget allocated by the municipality to firefighters.
The United States is kyiv’s biggest supporter in its defense against Russian invasion. Washington has provided military aid worth more than $65 billion (€63 billion) since February 2022.
While worrying about a possible drop in this aid with the announced return of Donald Trump to the White House on January 20, kyiv hopes for strong decisions from Joe Biden’s successor. Volodymyr Zelensky estimated at the beginning of January that “unpredictability» of the Republican could help end the war.
