According to Politico, the Pentagon is gearing up to dispatch a significant aid package to Ukraine promptly upon President Joe Biden’s endorsement of a long-awaited Ukraine aid bill passed recently. Citing insights from two anonymous U.S. officials, the report suggests that while the Department of Defense (DOD) planners haven’t finalized the package’s specifics, it’s expected to encompass crucial resources like armored Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, artillery, and air defenses urgently required by Ukraine.
The forthcoming aid tranche, expected to surpass the usual $300 million package, will reportedly address Ukraine’s pressing battlefield requirements. U.S. officials expressed concerns to Politico about Ukraine’s diminishing prospects for a military victory against Russia without a surge in essential equipment.
The House greenlit $61 billion for the Pentagon to allocate towards security assistance for Ukraine over the weekend. This funding aims to not only replenish U.S. stockpiles but also to procure new equipment for Kyiv. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer anticipates the Senate’s easy approval of the foreign aid package, slated for a vote on Tuesday.
President Biden assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of the administration’s commitment to swiftly deliver substantial security assistance packages once the Senate passes the national security supplemental and he signs it into law, as per a White House readout. Politico also noted that a top Pentagon official informed lawmakers about the readiness of the aid package “within a week or two” following the president’s approval of the funding.
The report highlights a prior instance in December when funding for Ukraine ceased, prompting the Pentagon to cobble together an “emergency” aid package in March, including 155mm howitzers and the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS), by reallocating $300 million from past Army contracts.
As of the report’s publication, the Pentagon has not responded to requests for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
