The United States announced this Thursday a new package of military aid for Ukraine, this time worth $150 million, which includes air defense equipment and tanks.
“Ukrainian forces are fighting valiantly to retake territory occupied by Russia, and this additional support will help them continue to make progress,” said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement.
The package includes a new Patriot anti-aircraft battery, twelve NASAMS missile systems, 31 Abrams tanks, and 20 Mi-17 helicopters, in addition to various types of weapons, grenades, ammunition, etc., the Pentagon detailed.
Blinken emphasized in his statement that Moscow started this war with its invasion on February 24, 2022, and that only the Kremlin can end the conflict by withdrawing its forces from eastern Ukraine.
Until this is done, he warned, the administration of Joe Biden will continue to work with more than 50 allied countries and the US Congress to provide the Ukrainian Army with all the necessary assistance.
The United States is the largest donor of military aid to Ukraine, with more than $43.9 billion given since the start of the invasion ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
However, the budget approved last year by Congress for Ukraine is about to run out, and Republicans, who have a majority in the House of Representatives, are increasingly suspicious of Kiev’s aid.
To try to overcome a possible blockage, Biden asked Congress last week for a new budget item that combines 61.4 billion for Ukraine and 14.3 billion for Israel, taking advantage of the fact that support for the Jewish State united the congressmen.
