Biden Admin Approves Another $700 Million in New Military Aid for Ukraine

The Biden administration announced the latest in military aid for Ukraine on Wednesday, and it includes its “top priority” weapons request.

This new aid brings the total aid the United States has provided to Ukraine to $4.6 billion since the beginning of Russia’s invasion nearly three months ago. During the war, Ukraine has requested various weapons that match the terrain and type of combat the country is facing.

INVADING FORCES DEPORT OVER 230,000 UKRAINIAN CHILDREN TO RUSSIA, KYIV SAYS

The $700 million assistance includes four High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, a Lockheed Martin product also known as HIMARS, which have a range of roughly 40 miles, in addition to five counterartillery radars, two air surveillance radars, 1,000 additional Javelins, 50 command launch units, 6,000 anti-armor weapons, 15,000 155 mm artillery rounds for the MI-17, and 15 tactical vehicles, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Dr. Colin Kahl told reporters on Wednesday.

Kahl noted that the administration preemptively moved some of the HIMARS, which he described as its “top priority,” to Europe to “ensure that they can be rapidly delivered to the Ukrainians.” He also said that the Ukrainians would have to be trained on the weapons, which would take roughly three weeks.

“This system will provide Ukraine with additional precision in targeting at range. The Ukrainians have given us assurances that they will use this system for defensive purposes only,” he said. Kahl’s comments come after President Joe Biden, who previewed the package in a New York Times op-ed published on Tuesday, said that the weapons “will enable them to more precisely strike key targets on the battlefield in Ukraine.”

Both comments demonstrate an aversion to providing Ukraine with weapons that it could use to target locations in Russian territory.

“We are not encouraging or enabling Ukraine to strike beyond its borders,” Biden wrote. He added, “So long as the United States or our allies are not attacked, we will not be directly engaged in this conflict, either by sending American troops to fight in Ukraine or by attacking Russian forces.”

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, as well as other Ukrainian officials, provided the U.S. assurances that they would abide by this request.

“This new package will arm them with new capabilities and advanced weaponry, including HIMARS with battlefield munitions, to defend their territory from Russian advances,” the president said in a statement. “We will continue to lead the world in providing historic assistance to support Ukraine’s fight for freedom.”