US to announce new US$2.3 billion military aid package for Ukraine – Head of Pentagon

Lloyd Austin, Head of the Pentagon, stated on 2 July that the US would soon announce the allocation of supplementary military aid for Ukraine in the security sector valued at US$2.3 billion. The package will include anti-tank weapons, interceptors and ammunition for Patriot and other air defence systems.

Source: European Pravda; AP

Details: The statement about the supplementary aid was made during the meeting between Austin with Rustem Umierov, Minister of Defence of Ukraine, in the Pentagon.

"U.S. will soon announce an additional $2.3 billion in security assistance for Ukraine," Austin said at the beginning of the meeting with Umierov.

"This package…will include anti-tank weapons, interceptors and other critical munitions" from the US stockpiles, he noted.

This statement was a decisive response to Kyiv’s request for aid in its fight against Russian troops.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, stated on 30 June that Russia had dropped over 800 guided bombs on the territory of Ukraine over the past week alone. He urged Western leaders to ease the limitations on using Western weapons for striking military targets in the territory of Russia. Specifically, he stated that Ukraine needed the "means necessary to destroy the carriers of these bombs, including Russian combat aircraft, wherever they are".

At the end of June it was reported that Joe Biden’s administration would supply Ukraine with interceptor missiles for the HAWK air defence systems within its new aid package valued at US$150 million.

The US has provided Ukraine with over US$50 billion of military aid since 2022.

A previous military aid package for Ukraine valued at US$225 million was announced by the US on 7 June.

Moreover, the US decided to prioritise the supply of anti-aircraft missiles for Ukraine before other states which requested it. Specifically, the missiles for Patriot and NASAMS will be provided.

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