The Pentagon chose the eve of the Fourth of July holiday to quietly announce a “significant” package of air defense interceptors valued at some $2.2 billion is destined for Ukraine.
The announcement came just days before the U.S. hosts the NATO summit in Washington and as Ukraine has continued to lobby for military support and acceptance into the alliance.
UPI reports the funding originates from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which sees the U.S. secure the weaponry and training from partners and companies rather than from presidential drawdowns taken from U.S. stockpiles.
The funding will be used to purchase interceptors for PATRIOT and NASAMS air defense systems for Ukraine, the Department of Defense said.
“The Biden Administration plans to accelerate delivery of these munitions by re-sequencing upcoming Foreign Military Sales deliveries for Ukraine,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
“As a result, Ukraine will be provided with the interceptors it urgently needs to protect its people and critical infrastructure against Russia’s aerial attacks.”
The Biden administration also announced an additional $150 million package under the presidential drawdown authority that includes missiles for HAWK air defense systems, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems as well as ammunition and artillery rounds, among other lethal items, the UPI report notes.
“This support will also help strengthen Ukraine’s air defense against Russian attacks and reinforce Ukraine’s capabilities across the front lines,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is “grateful” to President Joe Biden, Congress and the American people for the security package.
“Additional air defense, artillery, anti-tank weapons, and other critical items, as well as funds to purchase Patriot and NASAMS missiles, will strengthen our warriors and improve our battlefield capabilities,” he said on X.
The announcement comes a day after Austin announced a separate $2 billion-plus package was also being assembled, the UPI report sets out.
Including the latest contribution, the U.S. has now committed more than $53.5 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022.
The latest tranche comes after Western leaders last month rejected Vladimir Putin’s framework for a ceasefire while backing Ukraine’s demands Russia return all occupied territories as the basis for any potential peace agreement, as Breitbart News reported.
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