US announces additional security assistance for Ukraine

According to a statement released by the US Defense Department, the US announced a new security package plan, including the authorization of a Presidential Drawdown of security assistance valued at up to USD 425 million, as well as USD 1.75 billion in Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) funds.

The package included USD 425 million from current Defense Department stockpiles as well as USD 1.75 billion from Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative money. Since Russia began its military action in Ukraine in February, the country has received USD 29.3 billion.

In Friday’s announcement, the US also includes critical air defence capabilities to assist Ukraine in defending its people, as well as armoured infantry vehicles and other equipment that Ukraine is already using effectively, such as Javelin anti-tank missiles, artillery ammunition, and conventional and long-range rockets for HIMARS supplied by the US.

According to the statement, the specific capabilities include additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS); additional 155mm artillery rounds; Additional 120mm mortar rounds; 190 heavy machine guns with thermal imagery sights and associated ammunition to counter Unmanned Aerial Systems; 181 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Vehicles; 250 Javelin anti-armor systems; 2,000 anti-armor rockets; claymore anti-personnel munitions; Demolitions munitions; cold weather gear, helmets, and other field equipment.

“In total, the United States has now committed USD 30 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden Administration. Since 2014, the United States has committed more than USD 32 billion in security assistance to Ukraine and more than USD 29.3 billion since the beginning of Russia’s unprovoked, full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022,” as per the statement.

The United States will continue to work with its allies and partners to provide Ukraine with capabilities to meet its immediate battlefield needs and longer-term security assistance requirements, it added.
In the early week of January, the United States announced military assistance worth over USD 3.75 billion for Ukraine, European allies, and partners, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced in a statement.

Blinken is quoted as saying in the statement, “This assistance includes a USD 2.85 billion drawdown from stocks of the Department of Defense to be provided immediately to Ukraine and USD 225 million in Foreign Military Financing to build the long-term capacity and support modernization of Ukraine’s military.”

He further added, “It also includes USD 682 million in Foreign Military Financing for European partners and allies to help incentivize and backfill donations of military equipment to Ukraine.”

Notably, the United States has been providing military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine since Moscow launched its invasion on February 24, 2022.