Washington.- The United States will send $1.7 billion worth of military aid to Ukraine, including ammunition for air defense systems, mortar shells and anti-tank and anti-ship missiles, officials announced Monday.
The package includes $1.5 billion in funding for long-term contracts through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) and $200 million in immediate military aid drawn from the Pentagon’s reserves.
The latest infusion of weapons comes just over two weeks after the NATO summit in Washington, during which members of the military alliance spent a significant amount of time shoring up support for Ukraine as it battles Russian military forces. U.S. President Joe Biden announced during the summit that the United States will send a battery of Patriot missiles to Ukraine, responding to a key request from his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
NATO members agreed to create a new program to provide reliable military assistance to Ukraine and prepare it for eventual membership in the alliance. They declared that Ukraine was on an “irreversible” path to NATO membership.
In the latest package, air defense munitions for NASAMS, HIMARS, Javelin and other missiles will be supplied through a presidential authority that allows the Pentagon to take the weapons directly from its arsenals. The fleet also includes anti-armor systems, artillery, small arms, demolition equipment and other spare parts and maintenance.
The Pentagon said the longer-term weapons contracts will include “capabilities to augment” Ukraine’s air defenses, including short- and medium-range munitions. USAI will also fund mortar shells, anti-armor systems, electronic warfare equipment, explosives, secure communications systems and commercial satellite imagery services.
Weapons and equipment provided through USAI will go through the procurement process, so they will not reach the war front for months or years.
With the latest funding, the United States has now provided more than $55.4 billion in military and security assistance to Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022.
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