US announces $2.6 billion in Ukraine-related security assistance

Europe, News, US September 8, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

U.S. President Joe Biden approved a $2.6 billion worth of aid package that includes $675 million in arms supply and military assistance for its war against Russia.

The announcement of the latest military package came from the U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin during the 5th Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting at the Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

The military aid package would include howitzers, armored vehicles, and armored ambulances as well as anti-tank missile systems for Ukrainian forces. In total, the United States has committed approximately $15.2 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the Russian invasion started in February this year.

Capabilities in the $675 million package include:

Additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS)
Four 105mm Howitzers and 36,000 105mm artillery rounds
Additional High-speed Anti-radiation missiles (HARM)
More than 5,000 anti-armor systems
100 Armored High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV)
1.5 million rounds of small arms ammunition
1,000 155mm rounds of Remote Anti-Armor Mine (RAAM) Systems
Additional grenade launchers and small arms
50 armored medical treatment vehicles
Night vision devices and other field equipment.

U.S. Army M142 high mobility artillery rocket system — ^{A U.S. Army M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) launches ordnance during RED FLAG-Alaska 21-1 at Fort Greely, Alaska, Oct. 22, 2020. (Image Credit: Air Force Senior Airman Beaux Hebert)}

Senior defense officials from NATO allied countries met at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany on September 8. The meeting was headed by U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin, while NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the Ukrainian defense minister attended the meeting.

Austin said in his opening remarks that “We will work together to train Ukraine’s forces for the long haul. We will work together to help integrate Ukraine’s capabilities and bolster its joint operations for the long haul,” he said.

“We will work together to upgrade our defense industrial basis to meet Ukraine’s requirements for the long haul, and we will work together for production and innovation to meet Ukraine’s self-defense needs for the long haul. We must evolve as the fight evolves,” Austin said.

He emphasized that the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has reached “another key moment” as the Ukrainian forces are beginning to show evident signs of success against the Russian invasion, especially in the southern parts of the country. “Now we’re seeing the demonstrable success of our common efforts on the battlefield,” he added.

A day before the Contact Group meeting in Germany, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that the Ukrainian military had carried out a successful operation against the Russian forces to take control of large areas in the southern and eastern parts of the country. He announced that Ukrainian forces have also recaptured several settlements near the northeastern city of Kharkiv.

US and Ukraine officials — *^{U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his delegation meets his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in Kyiv. (Image Credit: Twitter @DmytroKuleba)}*

Blinken arrives in Kyiv

Separately, the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Kyiv on an unannounced trip on September 8. He announced a $2 billion aid package for Ukraine and other countries that are at risk of Russian aggression. This is Blinken’s second trip to Ukraine since the Russian invasion.

Blinken met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. He also visited a children’s hospital in Kyiv where he met with youngsters injured from Russian bombardments.

Blinken announced that approximately $1 billion would be allocated to Ukraine in terms of humanitarian assistance while the remaining $1 billion would be divided among 18 other countries at risk of Russian aggression. These countries include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

I have directed a $675 million drawdown of arms and equipment from @DeptofDefense stockpiles for Ukraine, as well as an additional $2.2 billion to support long-term defense investments in Ukraine and 18 neighbors. The United States continues to be #UnitedWithUkraine.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) September 8, 2022