United States preparing one of largest aid packages for Ukraine
The United States is preparing to announce one of the largest military aid packages for Ukraine, the cost of which is estimated at approximately USD 6 billion. This assistance will be provided under the USAI (Security Assistance Initiative of Ukraine) program, Politico reports.
The USAI program involves the U.S. government concluding contracts with American defense companies for the production of new weapons for Ukraine instead of supplying equipment from its own stocks.
According to the publication, the package will be officially announced on Friday, April 26. This will be done by Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin during a Rammstein meeting.
According to sources of the publication, the package will include:
- missiles for Patriot systems,
- artillery ammunition,
- means for the HIMARS missile and artillery system,
- drones,
- anti-drone equipment,
- air-to-air missiles for fighters.
It is expected that the specified weapons will be delivered to Ukraine within several years.
As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, on April 24, the Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the United States Department of State, Vedant Patel, stated that the United States did not announce the transfer of long-range ATACMS missiles at the request of Ukraine.
On April 24, U.S. President Joe Biden signed a bill that provides for the allocation of funds for assistance to Ukraine.
On April 24, it became known that the United States secretly sent long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine in March.