Joe Biden has announced nearly $3bn in new military assistance to Ukraine, including anti-aircraft missiles, artillery, counter-drone defences and radar equipment.
It is the biggest tranche of US military aid to date, bringing to over $13bn the total the US has supplied or pledged to Kyiv under the Biden administration. The new equipment, however, will have to be ordered by defence manufacturers and will not be delivered for months or years. US officials said it represented a longer-term investment in Ukrainian security.
The new package was announced on the country’s independence day and in the run-up to an expected Ukrainian counter-offensive against Russian-occupied territory.
“The United States of America is committed to supporting the people of Ukraine as they continue the fight to defend their sovereignty,” Biden said in a statement.
“As part of that commitment, I am proud to announce our biggest tranche of security assistance to date: approximately $2.98bn of weapons and equipment to be provided through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. This will allow Ukraine to acquire air defence systems, artillery systems and munitions, counter-unmanned aerial systems, and radars to ensure it can continue to defend itself over the long term.”
The new US-built Vampire drone defences, which use small missiles against unmanned aircraft, are particularly significant as Russian forces, facing low morale, general exhaustion and widespread equipment shortages, have been expanding their use of drones, an area where they are receiving support from Iran. Russian officials watched a display of Iranian drones in June and US officials believe Russians are being trained to use them inside Iran.
The US is also delivering six National Advanced Surface to Air Missile Systems (Nasams), a Norwegian-US build anti-aircraft missile, bringing the total promised to eight.
Other weapons included in the package are 245,000 rounds of 155mm artillery ammunition, up to 65,000 rounds of 120mm mortar ammunition, two dozen counter-artillery radars, and Puma drones.
However, unlike recent US arms deliveries, this batch under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), does not come from US military stockpiles but will be ordered directly from manufacturers. That means that some of the equipment will not be delivered for months or even years.
“This package of capabilities is really aimed at getting Ukraine what they’re going to need in the medium to long term,” Colin Kahl, the Pentagon policy chief, said. “So it’s not relevant to the fight today, tomorrow, next week. It is relevant to the ability of Ukraine to defend itself, and deter further aggression a year from now, two years from now.”
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, expressed gratitude for the new aid, which includes some of the types of weapons he has been demanding.
“The people of Ukraine, all our defenders highly appreciate [the USA’s] unwavering support. Together we will win!” Zelenskiy said in a tweet.
The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said the US had “demonstrated that we will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes”, and a recent poll by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs suggested there were few signs of “Ukraine fatigue” so far among the US electorate.
Near three-quarters of the Americans questioned backed increasing military aid to Ukraine. Fifty-eight per cent agreed with the statement that the US should support Ukraine “for as long as it takes, even if American households will have to pay higher gas and food prices as a consequence”. And 38% thought the US should send troops to Ukraine to fight the Russians, something that Biden has vowed not to do.
On most questions there was little difference between the views of Democrats and Republicans, making it one of the relatively few issues that does not split the country. That level of bipartisan support may become an important factor if Republicans take back control of the House of Representatives in November’s congressional elections.
