Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has offered to send Ukrainian firefighters to California (United States), where fires are devastating the Los Angeles area.
Zelenskyy announced that he has instructed his Minister of Internal Affairs to prepare Ukrainian rescuers for potential participation in the battle against Californian wildfires.
"The situation there is extremely difficult, and Ukrainians can help Americans save lives," he stated in a video posted on X. He added that aid is "being coordinated" and that "150 firefighters are already ready."
Images of the fires in California. Credit: Belga
Besieged by flames since Tuesday, Los Angeles, the US' second most populous city, continues to count its dead, with the death toll rising to 24 on Sunday evening, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office.
Despite the efforts of thousands of firefighters, the 'Palisades Fire' spread over the weekend to the northwest of the city and now threatens the densely populated San Fernando Valley. The stronger winds expected on Tuesday could exacerbate the situation.
The damage caused by the wildfires is expected to amount to tens of billions of dollars. Some experts already fear that these could be the costliest fires ever recorded.
Satellite image taken and released by Maxar Technologies on 11 January 2025 showing the front lines of the Palisades Fire in the mountains north of Santa Monica, California. Credit: Belga
Firefighters have at times had to deal with empty or low pressure hydrants. On Friday, their chief highlighted the insufficient budget allocated to the fire department by the municipality.
The State Governor announced plans to initiate a 'Marshall Plan' on NBC on Sunday to rebuild California and ease regulations to allow residents to quickly reconstruct homes lost to the flames.
The US is Ukraine's biggest supporter in its defence against the Russian invasion, providing military aid worth more than $65 billion (€63 billion) since February 2022.
While concerned about a possible reduction in this aid with the anticipated return of Donald Trump to the White House on 20 January, Kyiv hopes for strong decisions from Joe Biden's successor.
