On Thursday, the U.S. Department of State announced a $500 million defense aid package to Ukraine. The package will include urgently needed weapons and equipment for Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s military aggression.
The security aide provided will include AIM-7, RIM-7, and AIM-9M missiles for air defense; air-to-ground munitions; support equipment for F-16s; armored bridging systems; secure communications equipment; small arms and ammunition; and spare parts, ancillary equipment, services, training, and transportation.
The statement from the department read, “The United States and more than 50 nations stand united to ensure Ukraine has the capabilities it needs to defend itself against Russia’s aggression.”
This will be one of many forms of assistance to Ukraine as part of the security aid announced by President Biden on September 26. Earlier, in late December, President Joe Biden announced nearly $2.5 billion in security assistance for Ukraine. This aid included $1.25 billion drawdown package for the Ukrainian military and a $1.22 billion Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) package.
