SEPTEMBER 7, 2023 – The Defense Department announced today an additional security assistance package valued at up to $175 million to help Ukraine counter Russia’s unprovoked invasion.
The package includes additional air defense equipment, artillery rounds and anti-tank weapons.
The latest round of assistance marks the 46th drawdown of equipment from DOD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021 and reflects the U.S. enduring commitment in the face of Russian aggression.
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, who traveled to Kyiv today to meet with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, underscored the United States’ unwavering support.
“We want to make sure that Ukraine has what it needs not only to succeed in the counteroffensive but has what it needs for the long term to make sure that it has a strong deterrent, strong defense capacity so that, in the future, aggressions like this don’t happen again,”Blinken said ahead of his meeting with Kuleba.
The latest tranche is being provisioned as part of the $6.2 billion in presidential drawdown authority restored in June following a reevaluation of the total value of items already committed to Ukraine. As of the end of last month, there was approximately $5.75 billion in restored funding remaining.
The Biden administration has committed more than $43 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
That assistance has included more than 2,000 Stinger anti-aircraft systems, more than 10,000 Javelin anti-armor systems and more than 2 million 155-mm artillery rounds, among other items.
The assistance has been provisioned through drawdowns of existing U.S. stocks and through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, the authority under which the U.S. procures capabilities from industry and partners.
The Biden administration has pledged to extend support for Ukraine for as long as necessary to counter Russian aggression and the U.S. continues to lead the international coalition that has rallied behind Ukrainian forces.
Pentagon officials have also pledged to continue supporting Ukraine while maintaining U.S. readiness.
Speaking last week at the National Defense Industrial Association’s emerging technologies conference, William A. LaPlante, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, said DOD leaders are closely monitoring U.S. readiness as U.S. support continues.
“Every item that is decided and taken from the U.S. stock and provided to the Ukrainians, the chairman [of the Joint Chiefs] and secretary [of defense] go through it, and they look exactly at what is the effect for readiness,” he said. “And if they think it’s any impact, negative on readiness, or increases risk … we won’t do it.
“So, by definition, if it’s taken out of drawdown, the assessment’s been made [that] we can do it and we can manage the risk,” he said.
The U.S. has also ramped up production of key artillery rounds used most by Ukraine in defending its territory against the invading Russian forces.
Last month, Douglas R. Bush, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology, said the U.S. is currently producing new artillery rounds at a rate of 24,000 per month and is on track to produce more than 80,000 rounds per month over the following year.
By Joseph Clark , DOD News