The United States will allocate nearly 1 billion US dollars (£780 million) in additional long-term weapons assistance to Ukraine, as announced by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Saturday, reports Breaking News.
The Biden administration is racing to utilize all the funds approved by Congress to enhance support for Kyiv before President-elect Donald Trump assumes office next month.
The new package will consist of more drones and munitions for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) that the US has supplied, reports Breaking News.
Although these weapons are urgently needed at this moment, the funding will be sourced from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which finances long-term systems meant to be placed on contract.
The weapon systems acquired are generally designed to bolster Ukraine’s future military capabilities rather than make an immediate impact on the battlefield.
The 988 million dollar (£775 million) package is in addition to a previously announced 725 million dollars (£569 million) in US military aid, which will include counter-drone systems and HIMARS ammunition, and will be drawn from the Pentagon’s stockpiles for a quicker delivery to the front lines, reports Breaking News.
Since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, the US has offered Ukraine over 62 billion dollars (£49 billion) in military assistance.
Ukraine is encountering a heightened attack from Russia, which is now deploying thousands of North Korean troops to aid in the effort to reclaim the Kursk region, reports Breaking News.
Moscow has also initiated the use of an intermediate-range ballistic missile and frequently targets Kyiv’s civilian infrastructure.
With uncertainty surrounding whether Mr. Trump will continue military backing for Ukraine, the Biden administration is striving to make use of every remaining dollar from a significant foreign aid package approved earlier this year to position Ukraine as strongly as possible.
“This administration has made its decision. So has a bipartisan coalition in Congress. The next administration will have to make its own decision,” Mr. Austin stated at an annual conference of national security officials, defense contractors, and lawmakers at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, reports Breaking News.
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