(The Center Square) – The Biden administration is sending an additional $725 million in U.S. taxpayer money to Ukraine for security as its war with Russia continues.
The estimated $725 million is meant to be used on air defense, munitions for rocket systems and artillery, and anti-tank weapons. The announcement aligns with Biden’s previous statement as part of the surge in security assistance to put Ukraine in the “strongest possible position.”
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement, “In response to the entry of North Korean soldiers into this war, the President has decided to adjust permissions on Ukraine’s use of U.S.-provided long-range missiles. And to disrupt Russia’s war machine, the United States has implemented major sanctions against Russia’s financial sector, with more sanctions to follow.”
This is the Biden Administration’s 71st tranche of equipment provided by the Department of Defense inventories directed to Ukraine since August 2021, according to the DOD.
The DOD stated that the U.S. would continue to collaborate with some 50 Allies and partners through the Ukraine Defense Contact Group and its associated Capability Coalitions to “meet Ukraine’s urgently needed battlefield requirements and defend against Russian aggression.”
The additional aid includes:
- Munitions for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS);
- Stinger missiles;
- Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (c-UAS) munitions;
- Ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);
- 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition;
- Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS);
- Non-persistent land mines;
- Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wire-guided (TOW) missiles;
- Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems;
- Small arms and ammunition;
- Demolitions equipment and munitions;
- Equipment to protect critical national infrastructure; and
- Spare parts, ancillary equipment, services, training, and transportation.
The United States has $595.9 million in active government-to-government sales with Ukraine under the Foreign Military Sales system, according to the United States Department of State.
To date, the United States has provided $64.1 billion in military assistance since the conflict began in 2022 and approximately $66.9 billion in military assistance since Russia’s initial invasion of Ukraine in 2014.
Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder stated that the U.S. would continue to work to allocate the last of the Security Assistance Initiative funding, totaling $2.21 billion, before Trump takes office in January, while continuing to work on allocating and delivering equipment from the remaining $6.8 billion in presidential drawdown authority.
“So the bottom line is at the president’s direction, we will spend every dollar that Congress has appropriated for Ukraine and to replenish our stockpiles.”
Biden has used the emergency Presidential Drawdown Authority 55 times since August 2021, providing Ukraine military assistance totaling $31.7 billion from DoD stockpiles.
Congress has appropriated $4.65 billion in Foreign Military Financing across two supplemental packages for Ukraine and “countries impacted by the situation in Ukraine.”
The first Ukraine supplemental also provided $4 billion in FMF loan authority and $4 billion in loan guarantees to NATO Allies.
Almost 50 allies and partner countries have provided security assistance to Ukraine.
Among contributions to Ukraine, allies and partners have also delivered:
- Ten long-range Multiple Launch Rocket Systems
- 178 long-range artillery systems
- Nearly 100,000 rounds of long-range artillery ammunition
- Nearly 250,000 anti-tank munitions
- 359 tanks
- 629 armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles
- 8,214 short-range air defense missiles
- 88 lethal UAVs.
As previously reported by The Center Square, estimates show the country will need about $15 billion for immediate reconstruction and recovery priorities at the national and community levels.
This article was originally published at www.thecentersquare.com
