US announces $988m aid package to Ukraine

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Biden administration has unveiled a new $988 million security assistance package for Ukraine.

The package nearly halves the available $2.21 billion remaining in Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) to $2.21 billion, focuses on purchasing new weapons from the defense industry rather than drawing from US military stocks, Reuters reported.

The aid will fund the acquisition of ammunition for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) produced by Lockheed Martin, as well as drones and spare parts to maintain artillery equipment, according to the Pentagon.

The announcement was made during the annual Reagan National Defense Forum in California, where defense industry leaders and policymakers gathered.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the US has committed more than $62 billion worth of security assistance to Ukraine.

aw/sa