Biden plans to announce new supplies of aid – which includes heavy artillery and ammunition – while briefing Americans on the state of the conflict, which is approaching its second month and is entering what US officials say could be a bloody new phase.
The new military aid package, which the president will announce, amounts to approximately $ 800 million after a similar measure earlier this month. If approved, the latest package would mean the United States has committed approximately $ 3.4 billion in aid to Ukraine since the Russian invasion began on February 24.
This will be the last withdrawal of the president until Congress approves more money for weapons for Ukraine. In a presidential downturn, the Department of Defense withdraws weapons and equipment from US stockpiles to send to Ukraine instead of buying new weapons from manufacturers.
In his remarks, Biden plans to brief Americans on US efforts to support the people of Ukraine, along with the unveiling of a new aid package that has been finalized in recent days.
The latest package comes a week after the Biden administration approved another $ 800 million security package, which included artillery and anti-artillery radars for the first time since the Russian invasion.
The Biden administration is working to get military aid to Ukraine as soon as possible because it believes the war is at a critical juncture and continued US aid could change the meaning as Russia’s more aggressive attack on eastern Ukraine intensifies.
The more open terrain in this region favors the use of artillery and long-range systems, which is why the administration has made it paramount for the rapid introduction of these types of systems, as fighting is moving away from Kyiv and the Donbass region.
Biden discussed additional Western aid to Ukraine with other world leaders in a secure video call on Monday, where he also voiced the need to provide additional ammunition to Ukraine. Other countries, including Canada and the Netherlands, said they were supplying their own weapons to Ukraine this week.
Meeting with senior military officials at the White House on Wednesday, Biden highlighted the steady flow of US aid to Ukraine as the war unfolded.
“Weapons and ammunition are coming in every day, and we see how vital our alliances and partnerships are around the world,” Biden told Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, joint chief of staff and combat commanders at a cabinet meeting.
Biden said the position of US forces must be “dynamic” as the strategic environment abroad “develops rapidly”.
“Today, we see the need for adaptation as a consequence of standing with Ukraine against Putin’s brutal and unjustified war. And I want to applaud the extraordinary work you are doing to arm and equip brave Ukrainians to protect your nation, “he said.
This story has been updated with additional reports.
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