US announces $300 million in military aid to Ukraine

The administration of US President Joe Biden has announced new military aid for Ukraine. In a statement, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated that the $300 million in new military aid would be provided from unexpected cost savings obtained from US Department of Defense contracts, noting that the military aid would be used for High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) missiles and ammunition.

Sullivan stated, "These munitions will keep Ukraine's guns firing for a period, but only for a short period," indicating that this aid would only help Ukraine for a few weeks.

"A ONE-TIME SITUATION"

Sullivan said, "This package is not enough to meet Ukraine's battlefield needs and will not prevent Ukraine from running out of ammunition."

US Department of Defense Spokesperson Brigadier General Patrick Ryder, in his statement, said that providing weapons to Ukraine through cost savings was likely a one-time situation and that this was not a sustainable way to fund weapons aid.

The US Department of Defense's budget for aid to Ukraine ran out last December, and the $60 billion in additional aid requested by the Biden administration to support Ukraine has not yet passed through Congress.