US prepares new US$425 million military aid package for Ukraine
The administration of US President Joe Biden plans to announce on Friday the provision of another package of military aid to Ukraine in the amount of US$425 million, which will include missiles and ammunition for countering drones.
Source: Reuters agency with reference to two American officials and a document with a list of weapons being prepared for shipment, European Pravda writes
Details: A new aid package for Ukraine may include laser-guided munitions worth about US$300 million to shoot down drones. They will be ordered through the "Ukrainian Security Assistance Initiative" (USAI) programme, which provides for the purchase of weapons from manufacturers rather than their transfer from US military warehouses.
The rest of the package, Reuters writes, contains additional ammunition for the NASAMS and HIMARS systems, 105 and 155 mm artillery, TOW anti-tank missiles, Claymore anti-personnel mines, small arms and heavy vehicles. They are expected to be transferred from US Army stocks.
According to Reuters, it is expected that the tranche of military aid will not include additional long-range ATACMS missiles.
The Biden administration still has about five billion dollars of the military aid budget approved by Congress last year from US stockpiles. The last such package was announced by the United States last week in the amount of US$150 million.
Background:
- Joe Biden is trying to convince the US Congress to support aid to both Ukraine and Israel and to approve a new US$106 billion aid package, which includes more than $61 billion in funding for Ukraine.
- However, Mike Johnson, the new Speaker of the House of Representatives, insists that the aid packages for Ukraine and Israel be considered separately by Congress.
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