Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky thanked his American counterpart for the latest round of aid, pointing out that it was largely because of the United States that his nation had been able to stave off Russian aggression. Beyond that, he argued, it represented the US' commitment to showing strength on the world stage.
"I am deeply grateful to Joe Biden, Congress and its both parties, and the entire American people for today's announcement of two US military aid packages totaling $1.7 billion," Zelensky wrote in a post on X, explaining that the items provided were "critical to strengthening Ukrainian defenders, as well as funding to sustain previously committed equipment from the United States."
"In the Kharkiv region, I witnessed firsthand how such ongoing assistance allows us to save lives and protect people from Russian attacks," he added. "Most importantly, this assistance shows America's strength and leadership in the face of aggression and terror. The stronger such leadership, the more stable the world."
In its own statement, the Department of Defense revealed that the package included "munitions for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS); Short- and medium-range air defense munitions; RIM-7 missiles for air defense; Electronic Warfare equipment; Ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS); 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds; 120mm mortar rounds; Precision aerial munitions; Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles; Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems; Small arms; Explosives material and demolitions equipment and munitions; Secure communications systems; Commercial satellite imagery services; Spare parts, maintenance and sustainment support, and other ancillary equipment."
Of the $1.7 billion, around $200 million came from the Presidential Drawdown Authority, while the rest came from Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative funds.
This is the Biden administration's twentieth USAI package and the sixty-second time equipment has been provided to Ukraine from Department of Defense inventories since August 2021.
