Protection Secretary Austin says the US will present $2.3 billion extra in army help to Ukraine
WASHINGTON (AP) — Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin mentioned Tuesday that the U.S. will quickly announce a further $2.3 billion in safety help for Ukraine, to incorporate anti-tank weapons, interceptors and munitions for Patriot and different air protection techniques.
Austin’s remarks got here as Ukrainian Protection Minister Rustem Umerov met with him on the Pentagon. And so they mark a robust response to pleas from Kyiv for assist in battling Russian forces within the Donetsk area.
Austin mentioned the help will come by means of presidential drawdown authority, which permits the Pentagon to take the weapons from its shares and ship them extra rapidly to Ukraine.
“Make no mistake, Ukraine will not be alone, and america won’t ever waver in our assist,” Austin mentioned as he opened the assembly with Umerov. “Alongside some 50 allies and companions, we’ll proceed to supply essential capabilities that Ukraine must push again Russian aggression right now and to discourage Russian aggression tomorrow.”
The announcement comes simply days earlier than the U.S. hosts the NATO summit in Washington and as Ukraine has continued to foyer for military support and acceptance into the alliance.
“We’ll take steps to construct a bridge to NATO membership for Ukraine,” Austin informed Umerov.
“Hopefully quickly Ukraine will obtain its invitation,” the Ukrainian minister responded.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned Sunday that Russia had dropped greater than 800 powerful glide bombs in Ukraine within the final week alone. And he urged nationwide leaders to chill out restrictions on using Western weapons to strike military targets inside Russia. Particularly, he mentioned, Ukraine wants the “obligatory means to destroy the carriers of those bombs, together with Russian fight plane, wherever they’re.”
Austin didn’t discuss with the restrictions in his opening feedback, however he informed Umerov that they might talk about “extra methods to satisfy Ukraine’s quick safety wants and to construct a future drive to keep off extra Russian aggression.”
Together with the most recent $2.3 billion, the U.S. has dedicated greater than $53.5 billion in safety help to Ukraine for the reason that Russian invasion in February 2022.
