Shawna Chen
AxiosFri, 01 Apr 2022 00:00 UTC
© Metin Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesUkrainian soldiers near the ruins of a burned vehicle on a road in Irpin, Ukraine • April 1, 2022
The Department of Defense will provide up to $300 million in security assistance and equipment to Ukraine as the nation continues to rally against Russian forces, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby
announced Friday.
Why it matters: The move comes after
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that Russia's invasion has reached a "turning point," and that he had spoken with President Biden about Ukrainian forces needing more military help.Driving the news: The new package includes laser-guided rocket systems, unmanned aircraft, armored vehicles, night vision devices tactical secure communications systems, ammunition and medical supplies.
What he's saying:
"This decision underscores the United States' unwavering commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity in support of its heroic efforts to repel Russia's war of choice."
Kirby said in a statement:
- It "represents the beginning of a contracting process to provide new capabilities to Ukraine's Armed Forces" instead of drawing equipment directly from DoD stockpiles.
The big picture: The U.S. has committed
over $1.6 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia launched its unprovoked invasion, which has forced
more than 4.1 million refugees to flee Ukraine.
Comment: What does US $300M buy in military aid for its war by proxy?
A US official told The New York Times on Friday that the Biden administration will work with allies in Europe to send Soviet-made tanks to Ukraine as the Western push to pour weapons into the country continues.
The move marks an escalation in Western military aid to Ukraine. Until now, the US and its NATO allies have provided Ukraine with thousands of shoulder-fired anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles but have held off on sending more advanced weapons over concerns of provoking Russia.
The US official wouldn't specify how many tanks will be sent or what countries they will come from. Ukraine needs Soviet-made weapons since its armed forces are trained to use them, and only the NATO members that are former Soviet states can provide them.
The decision came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pleaded with NATO to send tanks and warplanes. The US had previously backed off from a plan to transfer Soviet-designed MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine.
According to the Pentagon, the new military aid package includes:
- Laser-guided rocket systems;
- Switchblade Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems;
- Puma Unmanned Aerial Systems;
- Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems;
- Armored High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles;
- Small-to-large caliber non-standard ammunition;
- Night vision devices, thermal imagery systems, and optics;
- Tactical secure communications systems;
- Non-standard machine guns;
- Commercial satellite imagery services;
- Medical supplies, field equipment, and spare parts.
Poland has turned into a hub for NATO weapons that are being sent to Ukraine, and President Biden recently said that US soldiers in the country are training Ukrainian troops.
Germany is on board to stand by and watch as well:
Germany has given the green light to supply 58 Cold War-era Soviet BMP-1armored vehicles to Ukraine. While the infantry fighting vehicles (IVFs) are currently owned by a Czech firm, any attempt to transfer them to third parties still requires approval from Berlin due to the end-user agreement.
The potential delivery of the vehicles to Kiev is not expected to materialize immediately, as the IFVs still require maintenance and repair. The process will likely take a few weeks.
So far, Germany has abstained from supplying Ukraine with heavy military hardware, sticking to deliveries of personnel armor and helmets, as well as man-portable anti-aircraft and anti-tank systems.
Comment: What does US $300M buy in military aid for its war by proxy? Germany is on board to stand by and watch as well: