United States: President Mr. Joe Biden has announced that the US will provide Ukraine with an additional $325 million in military aid. The statement was made during a White House meeting with Ukrainian President Mr. Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The package includes air defense capabilities, cluster munitions, anti-tank weapons, and other equipment.
“Today I approved the next tranche of U.S. security assistance to Ukraine, including more artillery, more ammunition, and more anti-tank weapons. Next week, the first U.S. Abrams tanks will be delivered to Ukraine. We also focused on strengthening Ukraine’s air defense capabilities to protect the critical infrastructure that provides heat and light during the coldest and darkest days of the year,” Mr. Biden commented.
The announcement was made during Mr. Zelenskyy”s second visit to Washington since Russian forces launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
In brief public remarks before the White House Cabinet, Mr. Zelenskyy struck a note of gratitude, calling his negotiations in Washington “productive” and “strong”.
“Thank you for all these 575 days. Thanks to the American people, all these days they are together with us, with Ukrainians, with ordinary people, all of us,” the Ukrainian leader shared. “It has exactly what our soldiers need now, and it is a very powerful package,” Mr. Zelenskyy commented while referring to the $128 million in military assistance from the US.
Mr. Biden used his presidential “drawdown authority” to authorize the aid, as further funds for Ukraine prove to be a sticking point in the US Congress. Since the full-scale Russian invasion began in 2022, the US has committed more money than any single country to aid Ukraine, with much of that support taking the form of military assistance.