Washington will send medium-range cluster bombs and munitions for HIMARS systems as part of the package
The US has approved a $375 million package of “urgently needed weapons” for Kiev, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday.
The announcement comes as Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky is visiting the US, where he is attending the United Nations General Assembly and is expected to have talks at the White House as Kiev pushes for more Western assistance in its conflict with Moscow.
The administration of US President Joe Biden has said it will supply Ukraine with an undisclosed number of medium-range cluster bombs and other weaponry in the military aid package, which is nearly double the size of recent shipments.
“It includes additional munitions and support for HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System); 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition; cluster munitions; armored, Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) and light tactical vehicles; patrol boats; small arms; and anti-armor capabilities, including, Javelin missiles,” it said in a statement.
According to media reports, Zelensky has vowed to present his “victory plan” to defeat Russia during his meetings with Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. The plan would require US-manufactured long-range missiles to strike deep inside Russia.
Kiev has been asking its foreign backers to speed up the delivery of arms and to lift restrictions on the use of long-range missiles for strikes deep inside Russian territory, which the Biden administration has repeatedly denied.
On top of the latest package, the US plans to roll out more than $8 billion worth of military aid for Kiev, according to Reuters. The White House has nearly $6 billion left in the special congressionally approved mechanism (PDA) aimed at fast-tracking aid for Kiev.
READ MORE: Zelensky aiming to ‘Trump-proof’ aid – The Times
According to the outlet, the Biden administration has been engaged in “urgent discussions” with Congress to allow it to use PDA funds for Ukraine before September 30, the end of the federal fiscal year, when the authority is set to expire.
Earlier this week, former US President Donald Trump called Zelensky “the greatest salesman in history” for his ability to trim money from the US.
“Every time he comes into the country, he walks away with $60 billion,” Trump said.
Washington has approved around $175 billion in financial aid and military assistance for Kiev since the beginning of the conflict in 2022, according to Reuters.
Russia has repeatedly warned that no amount of Western aid will stop its troops from achieving the goals of the military operation or change the ultimate outcome of the conflict.
