The United States Department of Defense (DOD) announced a $175 million support package for Ukraine's military, including anti-armor rounds and air defense equipment.
The latest assistance package marks the 46th equipment supply from DOD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021. The decision to provide the aid reflects the White House's enduring commitment to support Kyiv's fight against Russia's continued aggression.
US Announces New $175 Million Military Aid for Ukraine
Secretary of State Antony Blinken underscored the United States' unwavering support for Kyiv amid the conflict. The remarks come ahead of his meeting with Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelensky, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
Ahead of his meeting with Kuleba, Blinken said that the American government wanted to ensure that Ukraine has what it needs to not only win with its counteroffensive but also have enough for the long term to be equipped with a strong deterrent and defense capacity. This is to prevent such aggressions from happening in the future, as per the Defense Department.
The latest aid package is being provisioned as part of the $6.2 billion presidential drawdown authority restored in June. The latter followed a re-evaluation of the total value of items already committed to support Ukraine. Officials said that as of last month's end, roughly $5.75 billion in restored funding remained.
United States President Joe Biden's administration has committed more than $43 billion in security assistance for Ukraine since the start of Russia's unprovoked invasion in February 2022. The support packages have included over 2,000 stinger anti-aircraft systems, over 10,000 weapon anti-armor systems, and over 2 million 155-mm artillery rounds.
The current administration has pledged to extend support for Kyiv for as long as needed to help Ukraine fight against Russia's invasion. The US continues to lead the international coalition that has provided support to Ukraine's military forces.
Inclusion of Anti-Armor Munitions
The latest aid package to Ukraine is also the first time that the US will be sending depleted uranium rounds, which are also known as armor-piercing munitions due to their high density that allows them to penetrate armored tanks and ignite on impact, according to CBS News.
Depleted uranium is a byproduct of the uranium enrichment process done to manufacture nuclear weapons and is left after highly radioactive uranium is removed from the base ore.
The situation comes as there have been concerns regarding the impacts of the munitions since the US started using them on a large scale during the Gulf War. The Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs Administration have found that, in most cases, the health effects of the munitions are negligible.
The Pentagon said on Wednesday that the military aid to Ukraine would also include tactical air navigation systems and additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS).
The military aid also includes more than $655 million in new military and civilian security assistance and millions of dollars in support of Kyiv's air defenses and other areas. The Russian embassy in Washington denounced the decision, calling it an "indicator of inhumanity," said Reuters.
