Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin indicated Tuesday that the United States will send over an additional $2.3 billion in military aid for Ukraine. The package, authorized under the Presidential Drawdown Authority, will include new air defense interceptors, anti-tank weapons, and other munitions sourced from U.S. inventories. The announcement was made during a meeting with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
Additionally, Austin noted that the United States would expedite the provision of more Patriot and NASAMS air defense interceptors by adjusting the delivery schedules for some foreign military sales. the U.S. has placed Ukraine at the forefront of its list for receiving air defense capabilities, prioritizing it over other nations previously in line.
This announcement follows the recent U.S.-Ukraine bilateral security pact, committing the U.S. to a decade of training, military support, and expanded intelligence cooperation for Ukraine‘s armed forces. The timing also precedes the upcoming NATO summit in Washington, D.C., with Austin mentioning steps will be taken to support Ukraine’s path to NATO membership.
Aid pumped into Ukraine by the United States has not only gone into military assistance. It is also subsidizing the salaries of tens of thousands of Ukrainian state employees, Ukrainian farmers, and others.
Some of this aid has made its way into the pockets of corrupt officials and businessmen who set up fake companies to cash in on aid money without doing any of the intended work.
When the U.S. is able to supply high-tech American weaponry to the Ukrainian armed forces, reports indicate that Russia has been able to jam it on the battlefield, causing the Ukrainians to favor equipment from rival Chinese producers.
