US To Send $550 Mln In Arms To Bolster Ukraine’s Defense

The United States announced an additional $550 million security assistance package to bolster Ukraine’s arms and ammunition in the fight against Russian invasion.

“Pursuant to a delegation of authority from the President, I am authorizing our seventeenth drawdown since August 2021 of up to USD 550 million in arms and equipment from US Department of Defense (DoD) inventories for Ukraine’s self-defense,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

“Today’s announcement includes more ammunition for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and 155mm artillery systems that Ukraine’s forces are using so effectively on the battlefield to defend their country,” he added.

The package also includes 75,000 rounds of 155mm artillery ammunition that Ukraine’s forces are using so effectively on the battlefield against Russians.

The United State has been consistently reinforcing Ukrainian defense with modern artillery since Russia started attack on Ukraine more than five months ago.

This drawdown will bring total U.S. military assistance that the Biden Administration provided to Ukraine to approximately $8.7 billion.

U.S. Secretary Of Defense Lloyd J. Austin had called his Ukrainian counterpart Oleksii Reznikov on Friday and previewed upcoming security assistance plans.

On Monday, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Secretary of State Blinken, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley held a joint call with Head of the Office of the Ukraine President Andriy Yermak, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, and Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Gen. Valery Zaluzhnyy. They discussed the United States’ enduring support to Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.

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