Pentagon announces $2.6 billion Ukraine military aid package
Mike Brest
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The Department of Defense announced a massive new military aid package for Ukraine on Tuesday valued at $2.6 billion.
President Joe Biden authorized $500 million worth of ammunition for U.S.-provided HIMARS, air defense interceptors, artillery rounds, anti-armor systems, small arms, heavy equipment transport vehicles, and maintenance support through his authority to take weapons from U.S. stockpiles.
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In addition to the artillery and ammunition, the drawdown also includes 11 tactical vehicles to recover equipment, 61 heavy fuel tankers, 10 trucks and 10 trailers to transport heavy equipment, roughly 400 grenade launchers, and others.
By allocating this aid via the president’s drawdown authority, the aid could reach Ukraine within weeks.
“This new security assistance will allow Ukraine to continue to bravely defend itself against Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. “Russia alone could end its war today. Until Russia does, the United States and our allies and partners will stand united with Ukraine for as long as it takes.”
The remaining $2.1 billion in aid comes via the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative and will include air defense capabilities, as well as artillery and tank ammunition, mortar systems, rockets, and anti-armor systems.
Under the initiative, the DOD will provide Ukraine with additional munitions for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, nine counter-unmanned aerial system 30 mm gun trucks, 10 mobile c-UAS laser-guided rocket systems, three air surveillance radars and more ammunition for GRAD rockets, artillery, and other munitions.
Unlike the president’s drawdown authority, providing aid via the initiative relies on the U.S. using defense contractors to procure those weapons rather than delivering weapons from current U.S. stockpiles. Much of the aid procured via the initiative will take months if not years for Ukraine to reap the benefits.
The U.S. has now pledged more than $35 billion worth of security assistance to Ukraine since Russia invaded on Feb. 24, 2022.
The package was announced the same day Finland joined NATO, a move Russia desperately sought to prevent. Finland and Sweden ended their decades of neutrality last year when they applied for membership into the alliance due to Russia’s aggression.
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Bringing Finland into the NATO alliance roughly doubles the border shared by the alliance with Russia.
Blinken mused that Finland’s ascension to the alliance is a credit to Russian President Vladimir Putin because the war prompted Finland and Sweden to end their neutrality in exchange for the protection of the alliance.