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U.S. to send $1.8bn aid to Ukraine, including Patriot system

21 December 2022 12:15 (UTC +04:00)

A United States official has said President Joe Biden’s administration will soon announce a $1.8bn military aid package for Kyiv, which will for the first time include a Patriot missile battery and precision-guided bombs for Ukrainian fighter jets, amid reports the war-torn country’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, may visit Washington, APA reports citing AlJazeera.

US officials described details of the aid package on condition of anonymity on Tuesday, according to source.

Media organisations also reported on Wednesday that Zelenskyy could travel to Washington, DC to meet Biden and visit the US Congress. Zelenskyy’s spokesman did not respond to a request for comment on the trip and security concerns could yet force the Ukrainian leader to change his plans.

US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi earlier on Tuesday said in a letter that there would be a session of Congress on Wednesday night, which would have a “very special focus on democracy”, further heightening speculation the Ukrainian president would visit the US capital.

The $1.8bn aid package due to be announced by Biden, according to AP, signals an expansion in the kinds of advanced weaponry the US is sending Ukraine to bolster the country’s air defences against what has been an increasing barrage of Russian missile attacks.

The package, which is expected to be announced on Wednesday will include about $1bn in weapons from Pentagon stocks and another $800m in funding through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which funds weapons, ammunition, training and other assistance, officials said.

When the Patriot would arrive on the front lines in Ukraine is unknown and US forces must also train Ukrainians on how to use the high-tech system. That training could take several weeks and is expected to be undertaken at the Grafenwoehr Training Area in Germany.

All US and Western allies’ training of Ukraine forces has taken place in European countries.