The United States is set to announce a new military aid package for Ukraine worth up to $400 million. The package will primarily consist of artillery, air defense missiles, and ground vehicles as Ukraine continues its counteroffensive. The announcement is expected to be made as soon as Tuesday, according to three anonymous U.S. officials.
However, the U.S. will not include cluster munitions in this assistance package. The officials disclosed that the U.S. previously sent dual-purpose improved conventional munitions (DPICM), a cluster munition fired from a 155 millimeter Howitzer cannon, to Ukraine earlier this month.
The aid package includes various items such as several Stryker armored personnel carriers, mine clearing equipment, munitions for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), munitions for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), anti-tank weapons including TOW and Javelin, as well as munitions for Patriot and Stinger anti-aircraft systems. It should be noted that the package is still being finalized and may be subject to change.
The funding for this package will come from the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), which allows the president to transfer articles and services from U.S. stocks in emergency situations without requiring congressional approval. The material will be sourced from U.S. excess inventory.
This security assistance package marks the 43rd one approved by the United States for Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022, totaling over $41 billion in aid to date.
(Reporting by Mike Stone and Steve Holland in Washington; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
Credit: The Star : News Feed
