President Biden spoke by phone Wednesday with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kiev to discuss the 32-month war with Russia and announced that the United States would send an additional $425 million in military aid to Ukraine.
“President Biden gave an update on President Zelenskiy.” [sic] “The president's efforts to expedite security assistance to Ukraine throughout the remainder of his term,” the White House said in a readout of the call.
The package includes ammunition for the US-supplied National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System known as NASAMS and High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). Air defense RIM-7 missile. Stinger anti-aircraft missile. Air-to-ground weapons. Javelins and other shoulder-fired anti-tank weapons.
It also includes ammunition for 155mm and 105mm artillery, which Ukraine has relied heavily on in its fight to keep the East Donbass region from falling completely into Russian hands, as well as TOW missiles, light tactical vehicles, small arms, ammunition and grenades. .
The package will also include “spare parts and auxiliary equipment” that Ukraine will need to repair and store billions of dollars worth of previously sent U.S. weapons in use on the battlefield. .
The equipment will be sourced from the Pentagon's stockpile and supplemented with new weapons purchased for $425 million.
Biden last month promised to send the remaining funds approved by Congress to Ukraine before he leaves office (about $5.5 billion, according to the Pentagon).
The White House announced Wednesday that an additional Ukraine military aid package leveraging these funds will be announced soon.
“In the coming months, the United States will provide Ukraine with additional capabilities, including hundreds of air defense interceptors, dozens of tactical air defense systems, additional artillery systems, large amounts of ammunition, hundreds of armored personnel carriers, and infantry combat “vehicles, with thousands more armored vehicles added,'' the administration said.
President Zelenskiy “updated President Biden on our plans to achieve victory over Russia” during the phone call, he added, adding that “the two leaders have ordered their teams to conduct further consultations on next steps.” .
