US prepares aid package for Ukraine worth over US$2 billion with longer-range missiles – Reuters
The United States is preparing more than US$2 billion worth of military aid for Ukraine that is expected to include longer-range missiles, up to 150 kilometres, for the first time, as well as other munitions and weapons.
Source: Reuters with reference to American officials
Details: Reuters noted that the aid is expected to be announced as soon as this week.
It is also expected that the new aid package will include support equipment for Patriot air defence systems, precision-guided munitions and Javelin anti-tank weapons.
One of the officials said a portion of the package, expected to be worth US$1.725 billion, would come from a fund known as the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which allows President Joe Biden's administration to get weapons from industry rather than from U.S. weapons stocks.
The USAI funds will go toward the purchase of a new weapon, the Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB), which has a range of 94 miles (150 km).
"The longer range of the GLSDB glide bomb could allow Ukraine to hit targets that have been out of reach and help it continue pressing its counterattacks by disrupting Russia further behind its lines," Reuters wrote.
At the same time, Reuters noted that the United States has rebuffed Ukraine's requests for the 185-mile (297-km) range ATACMS missile.
Previously: The White House stated that the United States may soon announce the provision of another package of military assistance to Ukraine.
Background:
- The last package of US military assistance to Ukraine was allocated on 25 January. In it, the Ukrainian side will receive 31 American M1 Abrams tanks for the first time ever, as well as relevant equipment and hardware for their maintenance.
- In total, according to the Presidential Drawdown Authority mechanism, the United States handed over 30 packages of military assistance to Ukraine. The volume of the largest one amounted to more than US$ 3 billion.
- Last November, the Pentagon considered a proposal from the Boeing company to supply Ukraine with cheap, small, high-precision bombs that would allow Kyiv to strike far behind Russian troops at a distance of up to 150 km.
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