US to announce new US$200 million military aid package for Ukraine

President Joe Biden's administration is set to announce US$200 million in new military aid to Ukraine as early as Tuesday, 8 August.

Source: Reuters with reference to US officials

Details: Reuters noted that the Biden administration is beginning to distribute US$6.2 billion in funds discovered after a Pentagon accounting error overestimated the cost of billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine.

In May 2023, the Pentagon announced that it had mistakenly determined a higher-than-warranted value for US military aid when employees used "replacement value" instead of "depreciated value" to calculate the billions of dollars worth of ammunition, missiles and other equipment sent to Ukraine.

Quote from Reuters: "Ukraine needs weaponry that can be shipped from US stocks in a matter of days or weeks so it can keep up its fight to repel Russia's invasion – the accounting error worked to Kyiv's benefit because more equipment can be sent. 

Beginning to use these discovered funds is significant because they represent the last of the previously congressionally authorised $25.5 billion worth of Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) the administration can utilise to ship weapons from US stocks in the event of an emergency, the US officials said."

More details: US officials added that Washington is currently working on a supplemental budget request to continue assisting Kyiv.

The announcement expected on Tuesday of US$200 million will be the first tranche of the US$6.2 billion previously allocated under the US Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA).

This package will include, among other things, mine-clearance equipment, TOW and AT4 anti-tank weapons, ammunition for Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems, guided multiple-launch rocket systems (GMLRS), Javelin anti-tank missiles and other equipment.

Background:

• The US Department of Defense announced another US$400 million military aid package for Ukraine in July.
• The aid includes additional ammunition for the Patriot, NASAMS and HIMARS systems, Stinger anti-aircraft systems, Javelin anti-tank systems, 32 Stryker armoured personnel carriers, 155mm and 105mm artillery shells, and 120mm and 60mm mortar shells.
• In addition, the US military aid package includes TOW missiles, Hornet unmanned aerial systems, Hydra-70 aircraft missiles, "tactical air navigation systems", explosive munitions to overcome obstacles, more than 28 million rounds of small arms ammunition and grenades, night vision and thermal imaging systems, as well as spare parts and training ammunition.
• The total amount of US military assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022 has already reached more than US$43.7 billion.
• The United States announced a previous package of military assistance to Ukraine worth US$800 million on 7 July. It included cluster munitions for the first time.

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