This comes as US officials warn of a potentially bloody new phase in the ongoing war, focusing on Ukraine’s eastern regions as Russia withdraws troops from the area around the capital Kyiv.
“The Ukrainian military has used the weapons we provide to a devastating effect. As Russia prepares to step up its attack in the Donbass region, the United States will continue to provide Ukraine with defense capabilities,” Biden said in a statement.
Biden spoke in detail about the new message in a lunchtime telephone conversation with Zelensky that lasted about an hour.
“Continuation of the ongoing dialogue with @POTUS. Assessment of Russian war crimes. Discussion of an additional package of defense and possible macro-financial assistance. An agreement to strengthen sanctions, “Zelenski wrote on Twitter.
The United States is providing Ukraine with 11 Mi-17 helicopters, 300 Switchblade drones, 18 howitzers and protection equipment to prevent chemical attacks in the latest batch of White House-approved security aid, the Pentagon said. In addition, the new weapons package includes 200 M113 armored personnel carriers, 10 anti-artillery radars, 500 Javelin anti-tank missiles and 30,000 sets of body armor and helmets.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the $ 800 million package was intended to “meet Ukraine’s urgent needs for today’s battle” as Russian forces shift the focus of their attack to eastern and southern Ukraine. He said weapons would be sent to Ukraine “as much as possible”, noting that previous security aid had been sent only four to five days after security packages were approved.
As of Tuesday night, two sources said the helicopters had been removed from the aid list, although Biden said in a statement that they were eventually included. Initially, Ukraine asked the White House not to send helicopters at the last minute, saying it wanted more time to assess whether they would be useful. But during a phone call Wednesday, Zelensky told Biden that his country needed them, so they were returned to the package, a source familiar with the matter said.
The Mi-17 helicopters that were added to the package were destined for Afghanistan, Kirby said.
The $ 800 million shipment brings the total military aid that the United States has provided to Ukraine to more than $ 3 billion. Ukraine’s defense budget for 2020 is only about $ 6 billion, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. In less than two months, the United States has provided nearly half of that security aid, underscoring the pace at which the White House is working to send weapons and equipment.
Delivery of earlier packages is still complete as a new one has been announced. The United States expects the remaining 100 of the 100 Switchblade drones to enter Ukraine “the next day,” according to a senior U.S. defense official.
The official also said another shipment of US Javelin anti-tank missiles is expected to reach Ukraine in the next 24 hours. The United States also helped coordinate two air deliveries from two other countries in Ukraine, the official said during an off-camera briefing on Wednesday.
Switchblade drones are small, portable drones that carry warheads and detonate on impact. The smallest model can hit a target within six miles, according to the drone company.
“The continued supply of weapons to Ukraine by the United States and its allies and partners has been crucial in sustaining its fight against the Russian invasion. This helped ensure that Putin failed in his original military goals of conquering and controlling Ukraine. We can’t Rest now. “As I assured President Zelensky, the American people will continue to stand by the brave Ukrainian people in their struggle for freedom,” Biden said in a statement.
The Pentagon is still working on how US forces will train Ukrainians on some of the new systems they send in the security aid package.
“We’re still working on what these options will look like, what this training will look like, how many US troops will be involved, where it will be, how long,” Kirby told a news briefing.
He said the United States would be able to train Ukrainians on the new systems “very, very quickly” and would probably do so by training a small number of Ukrainian soldiers who could then train others, including Switchblade drones, some of which were sent in an earlier help package.
The new tranche of money for Ukraine comes when the Pentagon hosted the CEOs of the eight largest military executives on Wednesday to find out how to arm Ukraine faster, according to a secret meeting.
The roundtable discussion, led by Deputy Defense Minister Kathleen Hicks, focused on the Pentagon’s goal of continuing to supply Ukraine with weapons, while maintaining the readiness of US forces and supporting Allied defense.
The Pentagon has sought to better understand the challenges facing defense officials in the rapid production of weapons and equipment, which have proven critical to Ukraine’s defense, according to testimony.
On Tuesday, a defense industry official told CNN that major arms manufacturers face serious problems with the supply chain and a lack of available labor. Production capacity could face additional challenges as contracts with Ukraine compete with increased US defense spending on current output, the official said.
The classified roundtable on Wednesday aimed to partially address those concerns in an ongoing series of discussions between the Pentagon and major arms manufacturers, including Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and General Dynamics. But it focused mainly on the goal of “speeding up arms production” for Ukraine, including systems that can be delivered quickly and used efficiently with minimal training.
A senior defense official said on Wednesday that mass arms supplies to Ukraine had not affected the readiness of US forces. The official called it “reasonable” to hold discussions, “before it becomes a crisis issue for our own readiness.”
This story was updated with additional reports on Wednesday.
CNN’s Oren Lieberman, Natasha Bertrand, Jeremy Herb, Michael Conte, Caitlan Collins and Jim Skeet contributed to the report.
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