The US Department of Defence (DoD) is to provide further support to Ukraine, 14 months after Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of the Eastern European country. On Tuesday, the department announced Mr Biden’s administration authorised a Presidential Drawdown – a measure allowing for the speedy delivery of defence articles and services from the US Defense Department’s stocks to foreign countries and international organisations.
The support offered includes Patriot air defence and High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) munitions, air surveillance radars, anti-tank rockets, and fuel trucks.
The package of assistance has been valued at around $2.6billion (approximately £2bn).
A statement by the DoD said the security assistance includes “more ammunition for US-provided HIMARS, air defence interceptors, and artillery rounds that Ukraine is using to defend itself”.
The US first provided HIMARS to Ukraine in June, and is believed to have since supplied Kyiv with at least 20 rocket systems.
Approximately 400 grenade launchers and 200,000 rounds of ammunition, 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds, 120mm mortar rounds, 120mm and 105mm tank ammunition as well as 25mm ammunition are included in the DoD’s package.
Anti-armour systems, small arms, heavy equipment transport vehicles, and maintenance support aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s defenders on the battlefield valued at up to $500 million (£400m) are also included in the announced package of support.
The DoD also said Ukraine will receive “a significant package of air defence capabilities”, as well as artillery and tank ammunition, mortar systems, rockets, and anti-armour systems using $2.1bn (£1.68bn) in Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) funds.
This is the 35th drawdown of equipment the Biden Administration has authorised for Ukraine since August 2021.
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The DoD statement pledged to keep on supporting Kyiv, saying: “The United States will continue to work with its Allies and partners to provide Ukraine with capabilities to meet its immediate battlefield needs and longer-term security assistance requirements.”
This announcement comes hours after the US hailed Ukraine as “critical” to European security.
During a meeting held in Brussels, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met with Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba.
Sharing a glimpse of their discussion on Twitter, Mr Blinken wrote: “As Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and I discussed in Brussels today, the United States and our Allies remain committed to supporting Ukraine’s defence against Russia’s aggression. A strong, independent, democratic Ukraine is critical to European security.”
The meeting took place on the sidelines of a NATO gathering which officially celebrated Finland’s accession to the alliance.
The meeting marked a historic reshaping of the transatlantic alliance’s borders.
Finland’s president, Sauli Niinistö, hailed the official inclusion of his country to NATO as a “great day” for Helsinki.
He added: “Russia tried to create a sphere around them and … we’re not a sphere. I’m sure Finns themselves feel more secure that we are living in a more stable world.”
Finland, alongside Sweden, had requested to become a NATO member in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Sweden’s access to the alliance is currently being blocked by Turkey, which claims the Scandinavian country harbours militants from the banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).