Ukraine war: Biden tells Zelensky his country will never stand alone

President Joe Biden has told President Volodymyr Zelensky the US will stick by Ukraine "for as long as it takes" in its war with Russia.

"You will never stand alone," Mr Biden told Mr Zelensky as he visited the White House on his first overseas trip since the Russian invasion began.

Mr Biden confirmed a new package of more than $2bn (£1.7bn) in assistance for Ukraine and promised another $45bn.

Mr Zelensky expressed his gratitude for Washington's backing.

At Wednesday's joint news conference, Mr Biden told reporters he was "not at all worried" about holding the international coalition together and said he felt "very good" about the solidarity of support for Ukraine.

As Ukraine's most important ally in the war, the US has already committed $50bn (£41bn) of humanitarian, financial and security assistance - far more than any other country.

Mr Zelensky expressed hope that Congress would pass the extra $45bn in aid to Ukraine to "help us to defend our values, values and independence".

Republicans - who will take control of the House of Representatives in January - have voiced criticism about the level of US support.

But Mr Zelensky said that "regardless of changes in the Congress", he believed there would be bipartisan support for his country.

The package of security assistance announced by Washington on Wednesday includes a new Patriot missile system, a sophisticated air defence system that is expected to help Ukraine protect its cities from missiles and drones that Russia has fired at critical facilities.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, the US military estimates that at least 100,000 Russian and 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or injured, along with some 40,000 civilian deaths.

The UN has recorded 7.8 million people as refugees from Ukraine across Europe, including Russia. However, the figure does not include those who have been forced to flee their homes but remain in Ukraine.