On December 7, the Pentagon announced an additional $988 million in defense assistance to Ukraine. The new package is aimed at strengthening Ukraine's defense capabilities to counter Russian aggression and meet critical battlefield needs.
This is reported on the website of the Pentagon.
The new package includes:
- Ammunition for HIMARS systems;
- Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs);
- Equipment, components and spare parts for artillery, tanks and armored vehicles.
The funds are being allocated under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) program, which provides for the purchase of new weapons from manufacturers rather than transferring them from Pentagon stockpiles.
According to AFP, this package uses almost half of the $2.21 billion allocated under the USAI program.
Vilni Media reported, that the United States had earlier announced an additional $725 million in aid to Ukraine under the Presidential Decision Authority (PDA) program, which provides for the transfer of weapons from Pentagon stockpiles. This includes air defense equipment, ammunition for artillery and missile systems, and anti-tank weapons.
In total, the PDA has about $6 billion appropriated by Congress, AFP notes.
The United States continues to provide significant assistance to Ukraine, focusing both on strengthening its defense capabilities and providing critical military equipment to counter Russian aggression.
Author: Danylo Pievchev