U.S. to announce another colossal military aid package for Ukraine

On Apr 19, 2022

U.S. Marines with Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, 12th Marines fire the M777-A2 Howitzer down range during Integrated Training Exercise 2-15 at Blacktop Training Area aboard Camp Wilson, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., Jan. 31st, 2015.

Lance Cpl. Aaron S. Patterson | US Marine Corps

WASHINGTON —The Biden administration is expected to announce another substantial security assistance package for Ukraine this week, five U.S officials familiar with the matter tell NBC News.

The package is set to be about the same size as the $800 million military aid package President Joe Biden announced last week, three of those officials said.

Earlier in the day, Biden himself confirmed that the U.S. will send more artillery to Ukraine. When asked whether he planned to send more artillery to Ukraine, Biden paused and replied, “Yes.”

The United States has already provided more than 50 million rounds of ammunition to Ukrainian forces. But as troops go through tens of thousands of rounds a day, and fiercer fighting is expected in the coming weeks, there is an urgent need for additional aid.

The need for more artillery was also raised Tuesday morning when Biden joined a secure call with more than a half-dozen world leaders, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby declined to detail items in the upcoming weapons package during a briefing at the Defense Department, citing security concerns.

Kirby said that the makeup of previous U.S. security packages comes “directly out of multiple conversations with the Ukrainians.”

The next security package will be the eighth such installment. It comes after U.S. intelligence assessments indicated that the Kremlin will soon focus its military might in eastern and southern Ukraine after weeks of stalled ground advances on the capital city of Kyiv.

In the past seven weeks, Russian forces on the ground in Ukraine have faced a slew of logistical problems on the battlefield, including reports of fuel and food shortages, as well as frostbite.

Since Moscow invaded on Feb. 24, the Biden administration has deployed more than 100,000 U.S. troops to NATO-member countries and authorized $2.6 billion in security assistance. The U.S. has provided a total of $3.2 billion to Ukraine since the beginning of Biden’s presidency, according to the White House.

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