Volodymyr Zelenskyy has mentioned Ukraine is able to help these affected by the devastating wildfires in California, with 150 Ukrainian firefighters able to go.
The supply by the Ukrainian president comes three days after Donald Trump Jr, son of US president-elect Donald Trump, responded to the Los Angeles wildfires by showing to blame Ukraine on social media. “Oh look of course the LA fire department donated a bunch of their supplies to Ukraine,” Trump Jr mentioned in a put up on X on 8 January.
If deployed, Ukrainian firefighters would be part of these despatched by Canada and Mexico, who’ve already converged on the Los Angeles space to assist hearth departments from across the state, at the same time as Trump has threatened to levy tariffs in opposition to each nations.
On Sunday, Zelenskyy mentioned in a put up on X: “Today, I instructed Ukraine’s minister of internal affairs and our diplomats to prepare for the possible participation of our rescuers in combating the wildfires in California.
“The situation there is extremely difficult, and Ukrainians can help Americans save lives. This is currently being coordinated, and we have offered our assistance to the American side through the relevant channels. 150 of our firefighters are already prepared.”
Firefighters managed to make progress on a number of smaller fires in southern California over the weekend, however two huge blazes, the Palisades hearth and the Eaton hearth, are but to be contained after burning for six days straight.
The wildfires have lowered complete Los Angeles neighbourhoods to ash, killing no less than 16 folks, and forcing greater than 150,000 to evacuate. The governor of California, Gavin Newsom, mentioned the fires could possibly be essentially the most devastating pure catastrophe in US historical past.
Strengthening winds threaten to develop the swath of destruction by means of Los Angeles within the coming days.
On Saturday morning, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote on X: “The humanitarian aid group is leaving for Los Angeles, California,” alongside photographs of firefighters holding the flags of Mexico and California and standing on the runway in entrance of two planes. “We are a country of generosity and solidarity,” she added.
Newsom thanked Mexico in a message on X posted on Friday after the deployment was introduced. “California is deeply grateful for President Sheinbaum’s support as we work to suppress the Los Angeles wildfires,” he wrote.
Crews from California and 9 different states are a part of the continuing response that features practically 1,400 hearth engines, 84 plane and greater than 14,000 personnel, together with these from Mexico.
Tons of of inmates from California’s jail system had been additionally serving to firefighting efforts. Almost 950 incarcerated firefighters had been dispatched “to cut fire lines and remove fuel to slow fire spread,” in keeping with an replace from the California Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Although the state has lengthy relied on jail labor to struggle fires, the observe is controversial because the inmates are paid little for harmful and tough work.
With Reuters
