The administration of outgoing President Joe Biden is set to expedite the delivery of another $425 million military aid package for Ukraine following calls from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for increased Western support.
In September, Zelensky presented his "victory plan" to Biden during his visit to the White House. The "victory plan," which seeks to enhance the position of Ukraine in the ongoing war, is intended to expand Western security guarantees for Ukraine, increase military aid and secure financial support. (Related: U.K. to send another $2.93B to Ukraine using stolen Russian assets.)
This, in turn, prompted the Biden administration to allocate substantial resources for Ukraine, including a new multi-million military aid package on Nov. 1.
The $425 million military aid package, provided through the Presidential Drawdown Authority, allows for the immediate transfer of weapons and equipment directly from U.S. military reserves to support Ukraine. Included in the new aid package are munitions for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, Stinger missiles, counter-unmanned aerial systems technology, air-to-ground munitions and additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems.
The package also includes 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition, tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided missiles, Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems, Stryker armored personnel carriers, small arms and ammunition, medical equipment and demolitions equipment and munitions. Additionally, the package will provide necessary spare parts, ancillary equipment, services, training and transportation to ensure Ukrainian forces can operate and maintain the equipment provided to them.
Total cost of U.S. taxpayer support for Ukraine has reached at least $186 billion
Aside from this military aid package, the Biden administration also pledged a $375 million aid package for Ukraine in September when Zelensky visited the United States.
Zelensky attended the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where he urged world leaders to stand against Russia's "colonial war" and defend the sovereignty of Ukraine. He also visited Washington D.C. and met with Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to unveil the then-confidential "victory plan."
As a response to the request, Biden and other international leaders signed the "Joint Declaration of Support for Recovery and Reconstruction of Ukraine." The declaration promises long-term support by committing to aid Ukraine in both war and peace.
In line with this, the Biden administration pledged a $375 million aid package for Ukraine. The military aid package, which is nearly double the size of recent shipments, includes artillery ammunition, air defense, anti-tank missiles and more of the critical weapons and equipment.
These military aid packages contribute to the multi-billion dollar value of security assistance the U.S. has already sent to Ukraine since the onset of the conflict.
According to a fact sheet released by the Biden administration on Nov. 1, the U.S. has already committed $60.4 billion in weapons to support Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022. However, when accounting for additional forms of assistance, including the $95 billion foreign military aid bill Biden signed in April, the total cost of U.S. taxpayer support for Ukraine has reached at least $186 billion.
Head over to UkraineWitness.com for more stories about the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
Watch this video of Ukrainian soldiers in Russia's Kursk region fleeing back to Ukraine to avoid encirclement by Russian forces.
This video is from The Prisoner channel on Brighteon.com.
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Sources include:
BigLeaguePolitics.Substack.com
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