WASHINGTON – The Pentagon announced a new $600 million package of long-term aid to Ukraine on Thursday, providing funding for an array of weapons and other equipment just a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the country and pledged $1 billion in new military and humanitarian aid.
The Defense Department said the latest package will come through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which provides money for long-term contracts for weapons systems that need to be built or modified by defense companies.
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Included in the aid is funding for equipment to sustain and integrate Ukraine’s air defense systems, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), artillery rounds, electronic warfare and counter-electronic warfare equipment, demolition munitions and mine-clearing equipment, as well as for training and maintenance.
The aid comes as the Biden administration works to show its continued support for Ukraine's three-month-old counteroffensive, as troops try to break through Russian defenses and clear vast mine fields. Some allies have quietly expressed concerns about the slow-moving offensive, while others say Ukraine has made some progress and has successfully used air defenses to knock down Russian missiles.
Blinken, on a trip to Kyiv on Wednesday, announced that the Pentagon will provide about $175 million for weapons that will be pulled from Pentagon stocks and an additional $100 million in grants to allow the Ukrainians to purchase arms and equipment.
In addition, he announced the U.S. will send nearly $805 million in non-arms-related aid to Ukraine, including $300 million for law enforcement, $206 million in humanitarian aid, $203 million to combat corruption and $90.5 million for removing mines, the State Department said. That package also included a previously announced $5.4 million transfer to Ukraine of frozen assets from Russian oligarchs.
The aid announced this week comes from money previously approved by Congress. President Joe Biden has requested $21 billion more in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine for the final months of 2023, but it’s not clear how much — if any — will be approved by Congress.