APRIL 25, 2024 – The Defense Department is moving quickly to provide much-needed military assistance to Ukraine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., said today.
Speaking after President Joe Biden signed the national security supplemental budget request into law, Brown said the Pentagon has continued to lean forward as the $95 billion measure made its way through Congress.
“What we do in the Department of Defense is plan,” Brown said during a keynote discussion at the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Global Security Forum in Washington. “And we plan a lot.”
He added that the Pentagon is “well postured with the authorities” needed to quickly provide Ukraine with munitions.
“We’re moving out,” he said. “We’ll get capability to Ukraine as quickly as possible.”
Biden requested the additional funding in October. The House passed the measure over the weekend, and it cleared the Senate on Tuesday.
The final bill includes $60 billion in assistance for Ukraine, as the country continues to defend against Russia’s ongoing invasion. It also includes urgent assistance for Israel following the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas terrorists, along with humanitarian support for Palestinian civilians in Gaza, and support for key regional partners in the Indo-Pacific.
In remarks at the White House before he signed the measure into law earlier today, Biden announced that the U.S. would send a fresh round of military aid to Ukraine within hours.
The Pentagon announced its first assistance package under the new funding soon afterward. The package, which is valued at up to $1 billion, includes key capabilities to include air defense interceptors, artillery rounds, armored vehicles and antitank weapons.
The announcement marks the 56th drawdown of military equipment from DOD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021.
Brown underscored the importance of ensuring Ukraine has the assistance it needs to defend itself against Russia’s invasion.
“Think about what Ukraine has been able to do when they’ve been resourced,” he said. “Early in the conflict, they were able to take back 50% of the territory that they lost after Russia’s initial invasion [despite being] against a much more capable force.”
He added that Ukraine’s success is critical for global stability.
“What happens in one part of the world doesn’t stay in one part of the world,” he said. “We’ve seen that via history, and I think what we’re collectively doing in support of Ukraine is important.”
By Joseph Clark, DOD News