US President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced nearly $3 billion in military aid to Kyiv

US President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced nearly $3 billion in military aid to Kyiv

US President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced nearly $3 billion in military aid to Kyiv as Ukraine celebrates its Independence Day six months after Russia invaded the country.

 Biden said in a statement: “We are proud to announce our largest security assistance to date, approximately $2.98 billion in arms and equipment  provided through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.”

 “This will allow Ukraine to acquire air defence systems, artillery systems and ammunition, unmanned defence systems and radar equipment to defend itself in the long term.” It is separate from the Presidential Withdrawal Authority (PDA), which can be used for wartime spending and allows Biden to order the transfer of weapons and ammunition to the Ukrainian military.

  Friday, the Department of Defense announced the latest package based on his PDA. A fleet of various missiles, artillery, armour-piercing weapons and ammunition, and armed demining vehicles worth $775 million.

 Biden also welcomed Ukraine’s resistance to the Russian aggression, which began on February 24.

 During the past six months of relentless attacks, Ukrainians have only come to be more proud of themselves and their country, as well as of the thirty-one years of independence they have experienced.

 It is our duty to stand with the Ukrainian people every day, not only today but always.”

 As part of his announcement Wednesday, President Biden announced that he was sending $2.98 billion in new military aid for Ukraine to ensure its forces have the capability to fight for years to come.

 As part of the aid, Biden said Ukrainians will be able to acquire air defence systems, artillery systems, drones, and other equipment “so that they can continue to defend themselves for many years to come.”

 As Ukraine commemorates its 1991 declaration of independence from the Soviet Union, the announcement comes as the country celebrates its Independence Day.

 Biden said: “I recognize that this Independence Day is bittersweet for many Ukrainians since thousands have been killed or injured, millions have been displaced, and so many others have been attacked and associated by the Russians.” The relentless attacks that Ukrainians have endured over the past six months have only strengthened their pride in themselves, their country, and the three decades they have been independent.

 In accordance with the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, the aid package is being provided.     

That includes the cost of a small, hand-launched Puma drone, officials said. A catapult-launched, more durable scan of his Eagle Surveillance Drone. It is also the first British drone system that can be launched from a ship, the British Vampire.

 US officials warn that the war between Russia and Ukraine will drag on for a while.     

U.S security assistance shifts to a long-term campaign likely to keep more U.S. troops stationed in Europe, the officials said on condition of anonymity. said a U.S. official.

Unlike most previous U.S. aid packages, the new funds are primarily aimed at helping Ukraine secure its defences in the medium to long term, according to an official familiar with the matter. Previous shipments, mostly authorized under presidential authority, have focused on Ukraine’s more pressing arms and ammunition needs, which the Pentagon already has in stock and can ship immediately.

 It contained possible supplies. In addition to providing long-term assistance that Ukraine can utilize for potential future defence needs, the new package reassures Ukrainian officials that the United States will maintain that assistance and the conflict will continue no matter how high or low it is on any given day. It is intended to reassure people, officials said.

 Biden said, “The United States is committed to supporting the Ukrainian people as they continue to fight for their sovereignty.

 NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg reaffirmed  Western Alliance support for Ukraine on Tuesday. and pointed out that the focus has broadened.

 “Winter is coming and it’s getting harder. What we are witnessing now is a brutal war of attrition. This is a battle of wills, a battle of logistics.

 Six months after the Russian invasion, as both sides traded combat blows for small advances to the east and south, The war slowed down. Both sides killed thousands of soldiers and Russian city bombings killed countless innocent civilians.

 

  Russia threatens to step up attacks on civilian infrastructure and government facilities in the coming days due to a public holiday marking the six months since Ukraine’s 1991 declaration of independence from the Soviet Union and its invasion.

 On Monday, the US Embassy in Ukraine and the State Department issued a new security alert to Ukraine, repeatedly urging Americans in the country to leave the country, citing the danger. “Given Russia’s track record in Ukraine, we are concerned about the continued threat  Russian attacks pose to civilians and civilian infrastructure,” he said.

 Other her NATO allies are also making new aid announcements on Independence Day.

 Olaf Scholz the Prime Minister of the country said the country was providing more than 500 million euros in aid, including a powerful anti-aircraft system.

 The support includes rocket launchers, ammunition, anti-drone equipment, 12 armoured recovery vehicles and three other IRIS-T long-range air defence systems, according to the German news agency DPA.

 Funds still have to be approved by the German Bundestag, part of which will not be paid out until next year.

 Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also announced that he would pay $3.85 million for two of his projects in Ukraine under the Peace and Stabilization Programme. This includes approximately $2.9 million in funding for the continued development of Ukraine’s National Police and other emergency services, and approximately $950,000 in support to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

 To date, the United States has provided approximately $13.6 billion in military aid to Ukraine since the start of the Biden administration, including his Contains 19 Weapon Packages. The 4,444 Pentagon leaders are also eyeing plans to expand training of Ukrainian forces abroad and those on the eastern and southern flanks of Europe, most threatened by Russian aggression. increase.

 

 A source who spoke on condition of anonymity said the announcement could be delayed until next week and warned that the value of the weapons pack could change before the announcement.

 The White House declined to comment.

 The conflict has escalated into a war of attrition, mainly in eastern and southern Ukraine, since Russian troops flooded across the Ukrainian border in February in what Russian President Vladimir Putin called a “special military operation.” there is

 Washington sent billions of dollars in security aid to the Kyiv government.

edited and proofread by nikita sharma