US announces new Ukraine aid package for up to $200 million

Ukrainian servicemen of the 92nd Assault Brigade fire BM-21 ‘Grad’ multiple rocket launcher toward Russian positions, in the Kharkiv region, on May 15, 2024, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Roman PILIPEY / AFP)

The U.S. military will soon send Ukraine up to $200 million in air defenses and other weapons, and has made a $1.5 billion commitment to support the country’s defenses over the long term, the Biden administration announced Monday.

The United States will send the smaller package as part of a presidential drawdown authority, meaning it will pull the lethal air directly from its stocks, “to provide Ukraine with key capabilities, including: air defense interceptors; munitions for rocket systems and artillery; and anti-tank weapons,” according to a Pentagon statement. 

Speaking to reporters earlier, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said the package will include munitions for U.S.- provided High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), artillery and mortar rounds and javelin anti-tank missiles.

The $1.5 billion package, meanwhile, will come from Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) funds, meaning the dollars will be used to buy arms on the global market or directly from U.S. weapons manufacturers.

That weapons tranche includes munitions for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, short- and medium-range air defense munitions, air defense missiles, ammunition for HIMARS, anti-tank weapons, and other artillery and munitions. 

Washington has given Kyiv more than $50 billion worth of military aid since 2022, and President Biden has authorized nine security assistance packages for Ukraine since late April as the country has struggled to hold back Russian advancement on the eastern front. 

Ukrainian defensive lines have been stra.ined by manpower shortages and near constant Russian attacks, with Kremlin troops making quick gains in the eastern Donetsk region over the past week.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who met with Biden at the NATO Summit in Washington, D.C., earlier this month, urged further permission to fire U.S.-provided, long-range missiles at targets further across Russian borders.

Ukrainian officials for months also have pressed the U.S. and other allies for more air defense systems to protect its cities and infrastructure from frequent Russian missile and drone attacks.

In an X post, the Ukrainian defense ministry said the country is “grateful to our American partners for their leadership and staunch support. Together, we will win!”