Joe Biden announces nearly US$3 billion in new military aid for Ukraine
- The aid is for air defence and artillery systems, munitions, drones and other equipment so Ukraine can defend itself ‘over the long term’, the president said
- US security assistance is shifting to a longer-term campaign that is also likely to keep more American military troops in Europe for the future, officials said
Six months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, US President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday that he is sending US$2.98 billion in new military aid to Ukraine that will enable forces there to fight for years to come.
In a statement, Biden said the aid will allow Ukraine to acquire air defence systems, artillery systems and munitions, drones and other equipment “to ensure it can continue to defend itself over the long term”.
The announcement comes as Ukraine is celebrating its 1991 declaration of independence from the Soviet Union.
“I know this independence day is bittersweet for many Ukrainians as thousands have been killed or wounded, millions have been displaced from their homes, and so many others have fallen victim to Russian atrocities and attacks”, Biden said.
“But six months of relentless attacks have only strengthened Ukrainians’ pride in themselves, in their country, and in their thirty-one years of independence”.
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The aid package is being provided under Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. Officials said it will include money for the small, hand-launched Puma drones, the longer-endurance Scan Eagle surveillance drones, which are launched by catapult, and, for the first time, the British Vampire drone system, which can be launched off ships.