The United States is preparing a $375 million military aid package for Ukraine, breaking a months-long trend towards smaller packages for Kyiv for its military operations against Russia, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Friday.
The latest package comes at a crucial time in the war, as Russia pummels Ukraine’s energy grid ahead of the critical winter months.
Harris and Biden along with NATO just bombed Russia…. Through their proxy Ukraine? Seems like an awfully big explosion and a suicidal escalation.
Great 🫣pic.twitter.com/NQGpzK9wLz— Jen Lawrence (@JenLawrence21) September 18, 2024
The aid package, expected to be announced next week, includes patrol boats, additional ammunition for high-mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS), 155 and 105 millimeter
artillery ammunition, spare parts and other weapons, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The contents and size of the package could change in the coming days ahead of the president’s expected signature.
Since May, the U.S. has not sent an aid package greater than $275 million using Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA).
PDAs allow the U.S. to draw from current weapons stocks to help allies in an emergency. In August, as Ukraine was pressing an incursion into Russia and losing territory in its east to Russian advances, the U.S. sent two packages, both for $125 million each.
Pro-Ukraine U.S. congressional leaders and President Joe Biden’s administration are working towards an agreement to seek a one-year extension of about $5.5 billion worth of PDA for Ukraine that is due to expire this month.
There was bipartisan support for the plan to include the extension of the PDA in a Continuing Resolution, a short-term emergency spending bill that the Senate and House of Representatives must pass to avoid a September 30 government shutdown.
The latest from @IgnatiusPost: Ukraine is bleeding out. It cannot fight forever.https://t.co/lhP2NJL3ti
— Washington Post Opinions (@PostOpinions) September 16, 2024
The authority set to expire in days was granted in a supplemental spending bill passed in April after a long delay by Republican opponents of Ukraine aid.
April also saw an increase in funds to buy new weapons that would replenish the U.S. weapons stocks drawn down by Ukraine PDA packages. Experts envisioned these new orders would boost the order backlogs of weapons makers like RTX, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, and Northrop Grumman .
(REUTERS)
