United States to Deliver $200 Million in Military Assistance to Ukraine
The US Pentagon will provide Ukraine with $200 million worth of weapons and ammunition to support its counteroffensive against Russia, according to US officials. The aid package includes missiles for the High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and the Patriot air defense system, munitions for tanks and howitzers, Javelin rockets, mine-clearing equipment, small arms ammunition, and demolition munitions. This comes as the US funding for Ukraine is nearly exhausted, and the Biden administration is expected to request additional aid from Congress. Ukraine has already received over $43 billion from the US since Russia’s invasion last year, but much of the ammunition and weapons have been used up due to the intense fighting. Along the front lines, there are multiple changes in position and control within a day, said Ukraine’s deputy defense minister. The aid will be sourced from the Pentagon’s surplus funds, as the administration has about $6.2 billion left in the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) money. Additionally, there is about $600 million remaining in the fiscal year 2023 USAI funds. The Pentagon is confident that it can continue to supply Ukraine with what it needs for the battlefield.
