Pentagon chief announces allocation of $6 bln military aid package to Ukraine
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III announced an additional $6 billion in military aid package for Ukraine
I'm also pleased to announce today an additional commitment of $6 billion through our Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative that will allow us to procure new capabilities for Ukraine from U.S. industry. This is the largest security assistance package that we've committed to date," Austin said at a press conference after the 21st meeting of Ukraine Defense Contact Group (Ramstein format) on Friday.
The aid package will include critical missiles for Ukraine's Patriot and NASAMS air defense systems, additional counter-drone systems and support equipment, as well as a "significant amount" of artillery and air-to-ground munitions, maintenance and support, the Pentagon chief said.
"The announcements this week underscore America's enduring commitment to Ukraine's defense," Austin said.
According to the publication, the package could be finally agreed upon and announced as early as Friday. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is expected to announce the new aid during a virtual meeting on Friday of the more than 50 countries that make up Ukraine Defense Contact Group.
The package will be part of the $61 billion in funding for Ukraine signed by President Joseph Biden on Wednesday and comes on top of a more urgent $1 billion in aid announced by Washington on Wednesday amid reports that Russian forces are outgunned and outnumbered by Ukraine's and Russian arms industry working at full capacity. “The Russians are going to … three shifts a day 24/7… they're at 6 to 7% of their GDP is spent on their military, we're at about 3.2%," Pentagon spokesperson Lt. Col. Garron Garn said on Wednesday.
The $1 billion commitment for immediate aid and long-range missiles also reportedly follows a similar move by the UK, which announced its largest aid package to Ukraine to date, which includes 1,600 missiles and several more Storm Shadows. France also sent its SCALP missiles.