The United States government is planning a new multi-billion-dollar to from Russia’s ongoing invasion, the AP news agency reported citing US officials.
US news outlet Politico also reported that the government was preparing to sign off on a $6 billion (€ 5.6 billion) long-term military aid package.
This would be a second installment from the and signed into action by President Joe Biden this week.
The plan could become public as early as Friday.
The aid package will be funded through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, two US officials speaking on the condition of anonymity told Politico, which pays for longer-term contracts with the defense industry.
It also reported that the $6 billion comprises contracts to be awarded to US defense companies to build new equipment for Ukraine as part of a US funding program. This means it could be months or years before the weapons arrive in Ukraine.
Meanwhile AP reported that the $6 billion package — the largest tranche of USAI aid sent to date — will include a wide array of munitions for air defense, such as the National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System (NASAM), the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), as well as the Patriot munitions, Switchblade and Puma drones, counter-drone systems and artillery.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is set to convene a virtual meeting on Friday of defense officials from Europe and around the world — known as the Ukraine Defense Contact Group — to discuss international aid for Ukraine.
mk/sms (AP, DPA, Reuters, AFP)
The post Ukraine updates: US to send $6 billion in war aid to Kyiv appeared first on Deutsche Welle.