US President Joe Biden has announced that he is sending $2.98 billion in new military aid to Ukraine to support their fight for years to come. POTUS said the aid would allow Ukraine to acquire air defence systems, artillery systems and munitions, drones and other equipment.
The announcement comes as Ukraine marks the 31st anniversary of its declaration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. "I know this Independence Day is bittersweet for many Ukrainians as thousands have been killed or wounded, millions have been displaced from their homes, and so many others have fallen victim to Russian atrocities and attacks," President Biden said and added, "But six months of relentless attacks have only strengthened Ukrainians" pride in themselves, their country, and their thirty-one years of independence." The assistance is provided through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.
Officials stated that it would include six more of the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), Puma and ScanEagle drones and the first shipment of L3Harris’ Vehicle-Agnostic Modular Palletized ISR Rocket Equipment (VAMPIRE) counter-unmanned aerial systems.
As Russia"s war in Ukraine drags on, US security assistance
is shifting to a longer-term campaign that will likely keep more American
troops in Europe in the future, according to US officials. Earlier shipments,
most of which were made under presidential drawdown authority, focused on
Ukraine"s more immediate needs for weapons and ammunition and involved material
that the Pentagon already had on hand and could ship quickly. The new package,
in addition to providing longer-term assistance that Ukraine can use for
potential future defence needs, is intended to reassure Ukrainian officials
that the US wants to maintain its support, regardless of the day-to-day back
and forth of the conflict, according to officials.
