MOSCOW (dpa-AFX) - President Joe Biden HAS announced nearly $2.5 billion in security assistance for Ukraine, another significant package of urgently needed weapons and equipment to help the U.S. ally fight against Russian attacks.
Monday's announcement, which includes an additional $1.25 billion drawdown package for the Ukrainian military and a $1.22 billion Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative package, will provide Ukraine with both an immediate influx of capabilities that it continues to use to great effect on the battlefield and longer-term supplies of air defense, artillery, and other critical weapons systems.
The latest round of U.S. military aid includes Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (c-UAS) munitions; air defense munitions; ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS); 155 mm and 105 mm artillery ammunition; air-to-ground munitions; Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems; Tube-launched, Optically guided, Wire-tracked (TOW) missiles; ammunition for crew-served weapons and fragmentation grenades; demolitions equipment and munitions; and communication, training, software, clothing and individual equipment.
Biden said that the Department of Defense has now allocated all remaining USAI funds appropriated by Congress in the supplemental that he signed in April, and his Administration is fully utilizing the funding appropriated by Congress to support the drawdown of U.S. equipment for Ukraine.
'I've directed my Administration to continue surging as much assistance to Ukraine as quickly as possible - including drawing down older U.S. equipment for Ukraine, rapidly delivering it to the battlefield, and then revitalizing the U.S. defense industrial base to modernize and replenish our stockpiles with new weapons,' Biden said.
The Department of Defense is in the process of delivering hundreds of thousands of artillery rounds, thousands of rockets, and hundreds of armored vehicles which will strengthen Ukraine's hand as it heads into the winter.
Biden vowed that at his direction, the United States will continue to work relentlessly to strengthen Ukraine's position in this war over the remainder of his time in office.
Biden's presidential term ends within three weeks, when Donald Trump assumes office on January 20.
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