Biden admin to give Ukraine $300M in military aid.

Biden Administration Announces $300 Million Military Aid Package to Ukraine

The aid, which will be the 39th drawdown of equipment from the Department of Defense stockpiles, will include additional munitions for the Patriot air defense system, Stinger anti-aircraft systems, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, artillery, and anti-armor systems, National Security Council coordinator John Kirby told reporters on Wednesday.

The Biden administration has allocated over $37 billion of military aid to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in 2014. The latest aid package, valued at $300 million, includes key capabilities to support Ukraine’s air defenders as they protect soldiers, civilians, and critical infrastructure amid Russia’s continuing air strikes. The package also contains artillery, anti-armor capabilities, and ammunition, including tens of millions of rounds of small arms ammunition.

Tense Moment for Moscow

The aid comes at a tense moment for Moscow, which has come under attack a couple of times in May, distressing Kremlin officials. Earlier this week, the Russian Ministry of Defense said eight drones were launched at Russia’s capital, which damaged two buildings.

“Kyiv chose the path of intimidation of Russian citizens and attacks on residential buildings,” Russian leader Vladimir Putin said. “We are concerned about attempts to evoke a response from Russia. It seems that is what they [Ukraine wants] … Kyiv provokes us to mirror actions. We will see what to do about this.”

U.S. and U.K. Differ on Ukraine’s Right to Defend Itself

The United States has publicly and privately told Ukraine its weapons should not be used to strike targets within Russia’s borders because it’s afraid of escalating the war. However, U.K. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly disagreed with the U.S. stance, saying, “It’s important to remember that Ukraine does have the legitimate right to defend itself. It has a legitimate right to do so within its own borders, of course, but it does also have the right to project force beyond its borders to undermine Russia’s ability to project force into Ukraine itself.”

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, a senior member of the Kremlin Security Council, claimed that U.K. politicians are legitimate military targets following Cleverly’s remarks.