Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Monday Ukrainian troops on the front line face "extremely difficult" conditions due to delays in receiving promised Western military aid.

Days after Russian forces seized the town of Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine, further tightening their grip on the region, Zelenskyy made a surprise visit to Ukrainian troops, as Russia's war of aggression nears its second anniversary.

Zelenskyy, military officials point to front-line difficulties

"The situation is extremely difficult in several parts of the front line, where Russian troops have concentrated maximum reserves," Zelenskyy said after visiting soldiers in the northeastern Kharkiv region.

He said that Russian forces were "taking advantage of the delays in helping Ukraine." He cited shortages of artillery, front-line air defense and long-range weapons.

On the southern front line, Ukrainian troops said they were facing "heavy fire" from Russian forces in the Zaporizhzhia region.

Senior commander Oleksandr Tarnavsky said Russia was launching multiple attacks on the village of Robotyne, one of the few places Kyiv managed to recapture during its 2023 counter-offensive.

"These offensive attempts are being halted, the enemy is being eliminated in the outskirts of Robotyne," Tarnavsky said in a Telegram post.

Biden willing to meet with Republican speaker over Ukraine aid

The US Senate passed a foreign aid bill earlier this month that included $60 billion (€55.7 billion) for Ukraine, but Speaker Mike Johnson has said he would not take it up in the House of Representatives. 

On Monday, US President Joe Biden signaled a willingness to speak with Johnson to try and move the bill forward. 

"Sure, I'd be happy to meet with him if he has anything to say," Biden said.

Congress will convene again on February 28 and must pass a new budget before March 1 to avoid a federal government shutdown.

Biden told reporters at the White House that he believed Republicans were making a big mistake by opposing aid to Ukraine, arguing that they were "walking away from the threat of Russia."

"It's just shocking," he said. "I've never seen anything like it."

Biden said he hoped that the death of Russian Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny in a penal colony in the Arctic region would make it more likely for Republicans to support an aid package, while acknowledging he wasn't "sure" if it would make a difference.

He added that Washington was considering imposing additional sanctions on Moscow over Navalny's death.

sdi/lo (dpa, AFP, Reuters)