US to provide $200M in fresh military aid to Ukraine.
The United States to Provide $200 Million in Military Aid to Ukraine
The Pentagon announced this week that the United States will transfer additional military equipment worth up to $200 million to Ukraine to aid in its ongoing fight against Russian aggression.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the new package of security aid will include munitions for U.S.-provided Patriot air-defense systems, artillery rounds, additional mine-clearing equipment, and anti-armor capabilities. This assistance is being provided under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, highlighting the United States’ commitment to defending Ukraine’s territories and protecting its people.
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“Every day, Russia is killing Ukrainian civilians and destroying civil infrastructure, while also weaponizing hunger and contributing to global food insecurity through its destruction of Ukraine’s civilian ports and grain infrastructure,” Mr. Blinken said.
“Russia started this war and could end it at any time by withdrawing its forces from Ukraine and stopping its brutal attacks. Until it does, the United States and our allies and partners will stand united with Ukraine, for as long as it takes,” he continued.
This $200 million military aid is the 44th drawdown from U.S. Department of Defense inventories for Ukraine since August 2021. The assistance will utilize presidential drawdown authority, allowing the Pentagon to quickly ship weapons from its own stocks to Ukraine.
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the Biden administration has committed over $43 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24, 2022. Previous aid packages have included thousands of Stinger anti-aircraft systems, more than 10,000 Javelin anti-armor systems, and millions of 155 mm artillery rounds.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to the United States for the new aid package, stating that it includes ”much-needed things” and emphasizing the ongoing partnership for defense.
“I want to thank the United States today for the new package. Munitions for Patriots, for HIMARS, artillery, Javelins, and more,” Mr. Zelenskiy said. “There will be even more work soon with our partners for the sake of defense,” he added.
The United States states that these items are being provisioned as part of a $6.2 billion aid package authorized in June under the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA). The PDA allows the Biden administration to transfer articles and services from U.S. stocks without congressional approval during an emergency.
Last week, it was revealed that a Pentagon accounting error had overvalued billions of dollars of aid for Ukraine. As a result, Washington will now begin to distribute $6.2 billion in funds to Ukraine.
This error occurred because U.S. military officials didn’t accurately account for the value of the weapons sent to Ukraine from the Pentagon’s stockpile.
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