Pentagon announces $400 million in military aid to Ukraine

Policy

By Victor Nava

A $400 million military aid package unveiled Friday by the Pentagon will provide Ukraine with surface-to-air missiles, artillery shells and other weapons and equipment critical to halting Russia’s advance in the north. is from this war-torn country.

Friday’s package marks the third tranche of aid to Kyiv since Congress approved an additional $60 billion in funding last month.

It includes munitions for Patriot air defense systems and advanced national surface-to-air missile systems; Stinger anti-aircraft missiles; High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and Munitions; howitzer artillery shells; High-speed anti-radiation missiles (HARM); Bradley infantry fighting vehicles; M113 armored personnel carriers; and Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles, among other equipment.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the firepower toward Kyiv “significant” and “urgently needed” as Russian forces again attempt to capture Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv .

“As President Biden has made clear, the United States and the international coalition we have built will continue to stand with Ukraine in defense of its freedom,” Blinken said in a statement.

The package also includes coastal and river patrol boats; trailers; TOW and Javelin missiles; AT-4 anti-armor systems; precision aerial munitions and demolition munitions; ammunition for small arms; grenades; chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear protection equipment and spare parts.

The weapons are sent through the President’s Withdrawal Authority, which draws from existing Defense Department stockpiles.

This is the 57th shipment of military equipment provided to Ukraine from DoD stockpiles since August 2021.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday he hoped to have weapons on the battlefield as soon as possible.

“This is exactly what we need. Thank you,” Zelensky said of the new aid program in his daily speech.

“We are working on logistics so that all the weapons prove themselves at the front as quickly as possible,” he added.

Zelensky, 46, said Russian troops are expanding their operations in Kharkiv, near the Russian border, and as a result he has directed more manpower to the region.

The White House believes the new aid package and future shipments of defensive and offensive weapons will prevent Russian President Vladimir Putin from making significant progress in Ukraine for at least the rest of the year.

“It is possible that Russia will make further progress in the coming weeks, but we do not anticipate any major breakthroughs,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Friday. “And over time, the influx of U.S. aid will enable Ukraine to resist these attacks through 2024.”

The United States has provided Ukraine with approximately $50.6 billion in military aid since Russia’s invasion in February 2022.