July 30th 2024.
On Monday, officials announced that the United States will be sending a whopping $1.7 billion in military aid to Ukraine. This aid package includes a variety of weapons such as air defense systems, artillery, mortars, anti-tank and anti-ship missiles. The funding will come from two sources - $2.2 billion from long-term contracts through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, and $305 million from immediate military aid taken from the Pentagon's stockpiles.
This latest infusion of weapons comes just over two weeks after the NATO summit in Washington, where the topic of supporting Ukraine against Russian forces was a major focus. During the summit, President Joe Biden made a commitment to send a Patriot missile battery to Ukraine, in response to a plea from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Additionally, NATO members agreed to create a new program to provide reliable military aid to Ukraine and prepare the country for eventual membership in the alliance. They also declared that Ukraine is on an "irreversible" path to joining NATO.
The weapons included in this package will be provided through presidential drawdown authority, which allows the Pentagon to pull weapons directly from its shelves. This includes air defense munitions for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), and Javelin and other missiles. The package also includes anti-armor systems, artillery, small arms, demolition equipment, spare parts, and maintenance.
According to the Pentagon, the longer-term contracted weapons will include additional capabilities to bolster Ukraine's air defenses, such as short- and medium-range munitions. The USAI will also provide funding for mortar rounds, anti-armor systems, electronic warfare equipment, explosives, secure communications systems, and commercial satellite imagery services. However, due to the contracting process, it may take months or even years before these weapons and equipment reach the warfront.
This latest funding brings the total amount of security assistance sent to Ukraine since Russia's invasion in February 2022 to over $84.6 billion. White House national security spokesman John Kirby remarked that the aid package includes "key capabilities for the fight." He also noted that this is the ninth military aid package for Ukraine since late April, when Congress finally passed supplemental funding for aid to Kyiv after months of delays. At that time, there were concerns that Russia would make significant progress on the battlefield by the summer. However, since then, Ukraine's defensive lines have been fortified, and their forces have been able to bravely repel Russia's advances.
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