Biden announces $800 million in new military aid to Ukraine
US President Joe Biden announced, on Wednesday, $800 million in new military aid, including heavy equipment, to Ukraine, according to a White House statement.
During a phone call on Wednesday with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, Biden said that the military aid includes armored vehicles, artillery and helicopters.
This new package of aid will include "very effective equipment that we have delivered" to Ukraine, Biden said, as well as "new capabilities" including, in particular, "artillery systems" and "armored transport vehicles."
Biden also gave his consent to send additional helicopters, as the White House confirmed.
The aim of this new assistance is to support Ukraine to confront the widespread Russian attack in the east of the country, as Washington has confirmed.
The United States has so far hesitated to send heavy equipment demanded by the Ukrainians, stressing that this will fuel tension between Washington and Moscow, with the risk that the United States will be considered a party to the war.
But it seems that the White House has recently abandoned the distinction it used to make between the delivery of "defensive" weapons, which it allowed, and the "offensive" weapons that it refused to send to Kiev.
The United States has secured the bulk of the international military assistance Kyiv has received since the fall.
The total value of this military aid before Wednesday's announcement was $2.4 billion.
According to a list released by the White House last week, the United States has provided or promised to supply Ukraine 1,400 Stinger air defense systems, 5,000 Javelin anti-armor missiles, 7,000 other anti-armor weapons, hundreds of "suicide" Switchblade drones, 7,000 combat rifles and 50 One million bullets and various ammunition, 45,000 flak jackets and helmets, laser-operated missiles, Puma drones, as well as anti-artillery and anti-drone radars, light armored vehicles, and secure communication systems.
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