US and UK pledge almost $1.5 billion to help Ukraine during diplomats' visit to Kyiv

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The United States and Britain pledged nearly $1.5 billion in additional aid to Ukraine on Wednesday during a visit to Kyiv by their top diplomats as Ukrainian officials renewed their pleas to use Western-provided missiles against targets deeper inside Russia.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced more than $700 million in humanitarian aid, while British Foreign Secretary David Lammy confirmed that his country would provide another $782 million in assistance and loan guarantees. Much of the effort was aimed at bolstering the energy grid that Russia has repeatedly pounded ahead of an expected difficult winter.

Blinken and Lammy traveled together to the Ukrainian capital on a rare joint tour to underscore their commitment to the country in its war. Air-raid sirens sounded repeatedly during the visit, causing delays in their schedule and forcing them to cancel a wreath-laying ceremony.

Blinken said he would bring the discussion with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the missiles “back to Washington to brief the president.” Blinken said U.S. President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will “no doubt” talk about the issue when they meet Friday in Washington.

“Speaking for the United States, we have adjusted and adapted as needs have changed, as the battlefield has changed. And I have no doubt that we’ll continue to do that as this evolves,” Blinken told a news conference.

The diplomatic visit unfolded as Russia’s bigger and better-equipped army bears down on Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region and conducts aerial attacks on cities across the country using missiles, glide bombs and drones that claim many civilian casualties.

Lammy said the 2 1/2-year conflict is at a “critical” juncture following Ukraine's daring incursion last month into Russia’s Kursk region.

"We convey the deepest condolences for the shocking attacks that we have seen, over the loss of civilian life, particularly women and children — horrific, barbaric, unbelievable,” Lammy said.

But relations between Ukraine and its Western partners have been increasingly strained by Kyiv’s repeated appeals for the West’s authorization to use long-range weapons from the United States and other allies to strike targets deeper inside Russia.

That issue took on added urgency after Russia’s latest reported acquisition of ballistic missiles from Iran, but Western leaders have so far balked at Ukraine's request, fearing that, if granted, it could escalate the war.

Biden has allowed Ukraine to fire U.S.-provided missiles across the border into Russia in self-defense, but has largely limited the distance they can be fired.

Zelenskyy said he hoped for changes to those limitations.

“Let’s count on some strong decisions, at least,” he said. “For us, it’s very important.”

He said he hoped to speak to Biden later this month, noting that U.S. military and financial support is crucial.

“We rely heavily on it, and frankly, we can’t prevail without it,” Zelenskyy said.

However, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin last week pushed back on the idea that long-range strikes would be a game-changer.

“I don’t believe one capability is going to be decisive, and I stand by that comment,” Austin said at a meeting of allied military leaders in Germany. The Ukrainians have other means to strike long-range targets, he added.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told Lammy he hoped an agreement on using long-range assets “for strikes on the territory of our enemy” could be reached. “We hope for your help and support in this issue.”

A hard winter likely lies ahead for Ukraine. Its power grid is under severe strain after Russian missiles and drones knocked out around 70% of the country’s generation capacity.

Kyiv officials will also have to navigate the outcome of the U.S. election in November, which could produce important policy shifts in Washington. Former President Donald Trump said in a presidential debate Tuesday that he wants the war to end but did not clearly say he wants Ukraine to win.

“We remain committed to Ukraine’s victory,” Blinken said. “The bottom line is this: We want Ukraine to win.”

Ukrainian officials politely sidestepped making any comment on the debate. Zelenskyy said he did not watch it, while Ukraine's foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha‎, insisted U.S. policy was ultimately unlikely to change.

“Yes, it’s clear that there will be a new president. But we believe, and are convinced, in the strong support of the American people,” Sybiha said. “We are firmly, firmly convinced that this support will continue.”

The latest American aid package includes $325 million in energy support to help repair and restore Ukraine’s power generation facilities, provide emergency backup power for critical services and strengthen the physical security of energy infrastructure.

Some $290 million will fund food, water, shelter, health care and education programs for Ukrainians in need in the country and refugees outside the country. The remaining $102 million will be used for mine-removal work.

Late last week, the U.S. announced it would send $250 million more in weapons to Ukraine, including air-defense missiles and artillery.

Wednesday’s visit was, unusually, announced in advance — a public signal of American and British support for Ukraine.

The British diplomats reached the Ukrainian capital by train from Poland. Blinken traveled from London, where he accused Iran of providing Russia with Fath-360 short-range ballistic missiles, calling the move a “dramatic escalation” of the war.

Referring to those missiles, Shmyhal added: “Russia’s use of weapons from its terrorist allies to strike at Ukraine continues their genocidal war and terrorism on our territory. We must be able to respond to such terrorism in kind by destroying military targets on their territory to ensure greater safety for our citizens.”

Associated Press writers Jill Lawless in London and Derek Gatopoulos in Kyiv contributed to this report.

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal at the Cabinet of Ministers in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink attend an event to promote civil society engagement in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy prepares to meet U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy at the Mariinsky Palace in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gestures during a meeting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy at the Mariinsky Palace in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy speaks during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Mariinsky Palace in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, right, Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy, and Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriiy Sybiha, left, arrive to attend a joint news conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken attends a joint news conference with Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy, and Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriiy Sybiha at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy, speaks during a joint news conference with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriiy Sybiha and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy, speaks during a joint news conference with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriiy Sybiha, left, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, greets Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriiy Sybiha at the end of a joint news conference with Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy, right, looks across as Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriiy Sybiha speaks during a joint news conference with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a joint news conference with Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy, and Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriiy Sybiha at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, speaks as he stands with Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy, and Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriiy Sybiha, center, during a joint news conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy, right, and Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriiy Sybiha attend a joint news conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends the Fourth Crimea Platform Leaders Summit in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (Leon Neal/Pool via AP)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal at the Cabinet of Ministers in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy meet with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Mariinsky Palace in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy, speaks during a joint news conference with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriiy Sybiha and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a joint news conference with Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy, and Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriiy Sybiha at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

On the podium from left, Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar Nariman Dzhelyal, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Foreign Minister of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak, President of Lithuania Gitanas Nauseda, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Prime Minister of Croatia Andrej Plenkovic, and the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk attend the Fourth Crimea Platform Leaders Summit in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (Leon Neal/Pool via AP)

Front from left, US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar Nariman Dzhelyal and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy attend the Fourth Crimea Platform Leaders Summit in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (Leon Neal/Pool via AP)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy arrive at the train station in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

U. S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks with chef Yevhen Klopotenko as he visits a restaurant in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, listens as UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, right, speaks during the Fourth Crimea Platform Leaders Summit in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (Leon Neal/Pool via AP)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy arrive at the train station in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, and Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy meet with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriiy Sybiha at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, and Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy meet with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriiy Sybiha at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, and Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy meet with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriiy Sybiha at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy attends a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal (not pictured) and other officials Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024 in Kyiv, Ukraine. The British Foreign Secretary joined his American counterpart on a visit to Ukraine to discuss the country's military needs in its fight against Russia. (Leon Neal/Pool via AP)

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy attends a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal (not pictured) and other officials Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024 in Kyiv, Ukraine. The British Foreign Secretary joined his American counterpart on a visit to Ukraine to discuss the country's military needs in its fight against Russia. (Leon Neal/Pool via AP)

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy attends a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024 in Kyiv, Ukraine. The British Foreign Secretary joined his American counterpart on a visit to Ukraine to discuss the country's military needs in its fight against Russia. (Leon Neal/Pool via AP)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is greeted as he arrives at the train station in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, right. and US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken arrive at Kyiv train station Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024 in Kyiv, Ukraine. The British Foreign Secretary joined his American counterpart on a visit to Ukraine to discuss the country's military needs in its fight against Russia. (Leon Neal/Pool via AP)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy arrive at the train station in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy are greeted as they arrive at the train station in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy arrive at the train station in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, left, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken board a train at Przemysl train station in Poland Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024 as they prepare to travel to Ukraine. (Leon Neal/Pool Photo via AP)

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, front left, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken board a train at Przemysl train station in Poland Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024 as they prepare to travel to Ukraine. (Leon Neal/Pool Photo via AP)

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, front left, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken board a train at Przemysl train station in Poland Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024 as they prepare to travel to Ukraine. (Leon Neal/Pool Photo via AP)

Hanukkah, Judaism’s eight-day Festival of Lights, begins this year on Christmas Day, which has only happened four times since 1900.

For some rabbis, the intersection of the two religious holidays provides an auspicious occasion for interfaith engagement.

“This can be a profound opportunity for learning and collaboration and togetherness,” said Rabbi Josh Stanton, a vice president of the Jewish Federations of North America. He oversees interfaith initiatives involving the 146 local and regional Jewish federations that his organization represents.

“The goal is not proselytizing; it's learning deeply from each other,” he said. “It’s others seeing you as you see yourself.”

One example of togetherness: a Chicanukah party hosted Thursday evening by several Jewish organizations in Houston, bringing together members of the city’s Latino and Jewish communities for a “cross cultural holiday celebration." The venue: Houston’s Holocaust museum.

The food on offer was a blend of the two cultures — for example a latke bar featuring guacamole, chili con queso and pico de gallo, as well as applesauce and sour cream. The doughnut-like pastries were sufganiyot — a Hanukkah specialty — and buñuelos, And the mariachi band took a crack at playing the Jewish folk song “Hava Nagila.”

“What really brings us together is our shared values — our faith, our families, our heritage,” said Erica Winsor, public affairs officer for the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston.

Rabbi Peter Tarlow, executive director of the Houston-based Center for Latino-Jewish Relations, said the first Chicanukah event 12 years ago drew 20 people, while this year the crowd numbered about 300, and could have been larger had not attendance been capped. He said the party-goers were a roughly even mix of Latinos — some of them Jews with Latin American origins — and “Anglo” Jews.

“There’s too much hate, too much separation against both Jews and Latinos,” Tarlow said. “This is a way we can come together and show we support each other.”

While Hanukkah is intended as an upbeat, celebratory holiday, rabbis note that it’s taking place this year amid continuing conflicts involving Israeli forces in the Middle East, and apprehension over widespread incidents of antisemitism.

Rabbi Moshe Hauer, executive vice president of the Orthodox Union, acknowledged that many Jews may be feeling anxious heading into Hanukkah this year. But he voiced confidence that most would maintain the key tradition: the lighting of candles on menorah candelabras and displaying where they’re visible through household windows and in public spaces.

“The posture of our community — without stridency, just with determination — is that the menorah should be in our windows, in a place where the public sees it,” Hauer said.

“It is less for us, the Jewish community, than for the world,” he added. “We have to share that light. Putting the menorah in the window is our expression of working to be a light among the nations.”

Hauer concurred with Stanton that this year’s overlap of Hanukkah and Christmas is “an exceptional opportunity to see and experience the diversity of America and the diversity of its communities of faith.”

Rabbi Motti Seligson, public relations director for the Hasidic movement Chabad-Lubavitch, noted that this year marks the 50th anniversary of a milestone in the public lightings of menorahs. It was on Dec. 8, 1974 — as part of an initiative launched by the Lubavitcher leader, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson — that a menorah was lit outside Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, where the Liberty Bell was housed at the time.

"Hanukkah is a celebration of religious liberty, so that it’s not taken for granted,” Seligson said. “One of the ways of doing that is by celebrating it publicly.”

He said Chabad was organizing about 15,000 public menorah lightings this year through its numerous branches around the world.

“There certainly is some apprehension,” Seligson said, referring to concerns about antisemitism and political friction. “Some people question whether Jews will be celebrating as openly as in the past.”

“What I’m hearing is there’s no way that we can’t,” he added. “The only way through these difficult times is by standing stronger and prouder and shining brighter than ever.”

Stanton concurred.

“Through our history, we’ve been through moments that are easy and moments that are hard,” he said. “Safety for us does not come from hiding. It comes from reaching out.”

Why is Hanukkah so late this year? The simple answer is that the Jewish calendar is based on lunar cycles, and is not in sync with the Gregorian calendar which sets Christmas on Dec. 25. Hanukkah always begins on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev, a date which occurs between late November and late December on the Gregorian calendar.

The last time Hanukkah began on Christmas Day was in 2005. But the term “Chrismukkah” — signifying the overlap of the two holidays — had become a popular term before then. The term gained extra currency in 2003, when the character Seth Cohen on the TV drama “The O.C.” embraced the fusion holiday as a tribute to his Jewish father and Protestant mother.

This season, the Hallmark Channel introduced a new Christmas movie called “Leah’s Perfect Gift,” depicting a young Jewish woman who had admired Christmas from a distance, and gets a chance to experience it up close when her boyfriend invites her to spend the holidays with his family. Spoiler alert: All does not go smoothly.

Despite such storylines suggesting a fascination with Christmas among some Jews, Stanton says research by the Jewish Federations reveals a surge in Jews seeking deeper connections to their own traditions and community, as well as a surge in Jews volunteering for charitable activities during the holidays.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Guests listen to speakers during a Chicanukah event at Holocaust Museum Houston on Thursday, December 19, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Annie Mulligan)

Benjamin Warren hugs Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo after she spoke during a Chicanukah event at Holocaust Museum Houston on Thursday, December 19, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Annie Mulligan)

Attendees listen to speakers during a Chicanukah event at Holocaust Museum Houston on Thursday, December 19, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Annie Mulligan)

Dr. Annette Goldberg dances with Sheldon Weisfeld during a Chicanukah mariachi performance at Holocaust Museum Houston on Thursday, December 19, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Annie Mulligan)

Altagracia Vazquez performs with her daughter Ariana, 6, and Mariachi Palmeros during a Chicanukah event at Holocaust Museum Houston on Thursday, December 19, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Annie Mulligan)

Guests add guacamole and pico de gallo to latkes during a Chicanukah event at Holocaust Museum Houston on Thursday, December 19, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Annie Mulligan)

Guests enjoy a performance by Mariachi Palmeros during a Chicanukah event at Holocaust Museum Houston on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Annie Mulligan)

Jacob Monty joins Rabbi Peter Tarlow at the podium during a Chicanukah event at Holocaust Museum Houston on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Annie Mulligan)

Rabbi Peter Tarlow lights a candle on a menorah during a Chicanukah event at Holocaust Museum Houston on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Annie Mulligan)

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo speaks during a Chicanukah event at Holocaust Museum Houston on Thursday, December 19, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Annie Mulligan)