Following House passage of its $61 billion aid package, likely to be approved by the Senate this week and quickly signed by President Joe Biden, the US Department of Defense (DoD) is already preparing its next batch of weapons to be sent to Ukraine as soon as possible, along with possible military advisors in non-combat roles.
Anticipating the approval and signature, the Pentagon is preparing a “larger-than-normal package” for Kyiv that will include “urgently needed artillery and air defenses” along with Bradley Fighting Vehicles and other equipment, according to a report Tuesday by Politico, citing two DoD officials.
The report implies that the package was already in the works and will be “significantly larger than the most recent tranche of $300 million” Biden’s Department of Defense (DoD) “cobbled together” in March using savings from contracts previously awarded to Kyiv, the officials said.
Politico granted anonymity to the officials along with others to allow them to speak ahead of an announcement, also saying that a DoD spokesperson declined to comment.
The sources said the “big package to help meet Ukraine’s battlefield needs” would include “older Humvees, M113 armored personnel carriers, as well as missiles” and would “also include artillery and air defenses.”
According to the report, in a call on Monday, Biden promised President Volodymyr Zelensky that the US administration would work quickly to provide “significant new security assistance packages to meet Ukraine’s urgent battlefield and air defense needs.”
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Recently the DoD Deputy Secretary for International Security Affairs, Celeste Wallander, told Congressional members the Pentagon is ready to transfer the aid “within a week or two” once Biden signs the aid bill into law.
Another report published Saturday by Politico said: “The US is considering sending as many as 60 military advisers to Kyiv to facilitate the incoming weapons transfers while supporting the Ukrainian government. The advisers would be in a non-combat role.”
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Comments (4)
Apr 23 2024: Today the US announced new sanctions against the Russian energy sector and related infrastructure, said the country's Deputy Energy Minister Geoffrey Pyatt. The restrictions will in particular affect the Vostok Oil and Yakut LNG projects.
That funding bill is tougher than people think:
✅ "require certain funds that are provided for Ukraine to be matched by other donors, and establish various oversight and reporting requirements for assistance provided to Ukraine." Search: [house-bill 8035]
Europe needs to get busy and find more money.
The key thing now is to tighten the air defense umbrella over Ukraine. NATO has lots of stuff that is rusting in the home countries, and Ukraine is a great place test that equipment. If Israel can make a tough umbrella, then Ukraine can too.
Finally Support for Ukraine from the U.S. is only a week or so from becoming a reality. For many months republicans in the house would not allow a vote on aid for Ukraine. This aid should have been approved at least six months ago and if it had the situation in Ukraine would look more favorable today. Ukraine fights not only for their own democracy but also stands as a buttress against further Russian aggression. It should be clear to the world by now that Russia will not stop at taking Ukraine but would then, after a period of time to re-arm, they would then attack the flank of NATO starting WW3. Helping Ukraine is helping ourselves. Ukraine provides the Military force and the least we can do is support Ukraine with funding and weapons. Not just the weapons we have provided but long range weapons. We must stop tying the hands of Ukraine and allow them to use American weapons inside of Russia it's self and provide them with what they need to strike deep into Russia against their energy grid and their weapons factories. Give Ukraine the funds and weapons they need and they will force Russia out of their lands and thus prevent any Russia expansion against NATO.