Biden administration announces new military aid package to Ukraine
Mike Brest
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President Joe Biden’s administration disclosed a new military aid package to Ukraine on Monday that is valued up to roughly $200 million.
This package, which includes additional munitions for air defense systems, artillery rounds, and anti-armor capabilities, was designated via the presidential drawdown authority, which means the equipment will come directly from existing U.S. stockpiles and can reach the battlefield in the near future.
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“Every day, Russia is killing Ukrainian civilians and destroying civil infrastructure, while also weaponizing hunger and contributing to global food insecurity through its destruction of Ukraine’s civilian ports and grain infrastructure,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. “Russia started this war and could end it at any time by withdrawing its forces from Ukraine and stopping its brutal attacks. Until it does, the United States and our allies and partners will stand united with Ukraine, for as long as it takes.”
The package will be funded via the excess money the Pentagon uncovered in the spring due to an accounting error.
The department had been tallying the equipment provided to Ukraine by using the price of the weapons they were replacing them with instead of the cost of the weapons provided to Ukraine itself. The difference in the total aid provided using the price of the new replacements and the cost of the weapons given to Ukraine is $6.2 billion.
This error benefits Kyiv as it allows for more U.S. equipment to be sent to Ukraine because the money has already been committed to its military.
“As far as funding goes out, we currently have, as you know, restored and are able to use $6.2 billion in … PDA that was previously committed, and so that money is available to us beyond the fiscal year, going into the next fiscal year, as are approximately $600 million in remaining USAI funds, which, again, is a two-year funding stream,” Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, the Pentagon’s spokesman, told reporters last week. “So the bottom line in all of that is we will continue to work very, very closely with the interagency and with Ukraine to ensure they get what they need.”
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Last week, Biden called on Congress to support a new emergency spending package totaling $40 billion that would include $24 billion for additional aid to Ukraine.
The U.S. has provided Ukraine with more than $43 billion in military aid since Russia invaded in February 2022.