US Commits Additional $1.7B In Military Aid To Ukraine Amid Ongoing Conflict With Russia, Bringing Total Package To $55.4B

The U.S. government has pledged $1.7 billion in military aid to Ukraine, including a variety of munitions and support for air defense systems.

What Happened: The aid package includes $1.5 billion for long-term contracts through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) and $200 million in immediate military aid from Pentagon reserves, AP News reported on Tuesday.

This commitment follows a NATO summit in Washington, where a significant portion of the discussions centered on strengthening support for Ukraine in its ongoing conflict with Russia. During the summit, President Joe Biden confirmed the U.S. would send a Patriot missile battery to Ukraine, responding to a request from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

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NATO members agreed to initiate a new program to provide reliable military aid to Ukraine and prepare the country for future NATO membership. The latest aid package includes munitions for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), Javelin and other missiles. The Pentagon will supply these weapons through presidential drawdown authority, allowing for direct access from its stock.

According to the Pentagon, the long-term contracted weapons will enhance Ukraine’s air defenses, including short- and medium-range munitions. The USAI will also fund mortar rounds, anti-armor systems, electronic warfare equipment, explosives, secure communications systems, and commercial satellite imagery services.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby stated that the package includes “key capabilities for the fight.” This marks the ninth military aid package for Ukraine since late April, following the Congress-approved supplemental funding for aid to Kyiv.

With the latest funding, the U.S. has now sent more than $55.4 billion in military aid to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022.

Why It Matters: The NATO summit in Washington had prioritized long-term support for Ukraine in the war against Russia, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy seeking to boost allied support for his country. The summit followed a series of measures by NATO to fortify long-term support for Ukraine, including the establishment of a new post in Kyiv.

However, the Pentagon has been grappling with accurately valuing defense articles sent to Ukraine due to ambiguous accounting definitions, leading to an additional $2 billion in accounting errors related to aid sent to Ukraine, bringing the total to $8.2 billion.

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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Pooja Rajkumari