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Biden announced $800 million more in aid to Ukraine

16 March 2022 22:05 (UTC +04:00)

President Biden announced $800 million in additional security assistance to Ukraine during remarks from the White House on Wednesday. This brings the total to $1 billion in aid announced in just the last week, APA reports citing CNN.

"The world is united in our support for Ukraine and our determination to make (Russian President Vladimir) Putin pay a very heavy price," Biden said as he made the announcement. "America is leading this effort, together with our allies and partners, providing an enormous level of security and humanitarian assistance that we're adding to today and we're going to continue to do more in the days and weeks ahead."

The package of military assistance will include anti-tank missiles and more of the defensive weapons that the US has already been providing, including Javelin anti-tank and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, officials familiar with the plans said. The assistance, however, will stop short of the no-fly zone or fighter jets that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said are necessary to sustain Ukraine's fight against Russia.

"These are direct transfers of equipment from our Department of Defense to the Ukrainian military to help them as they fight against this invasion. I thank the Congress for appropriating these funds," Biden said.

Biden went on to detail what is in the package and how it will be used.

"This new package, on its own, is going to provide unprecedented assistance to Ukraine. It includes; 800 anti-aircraft systems to make sure the Ukrainian military can continue to stop the plans and helicopters that have been attacking their people and to defend their Ukrainian airspace," Biden continued.

"At the request of President Zelensky, we have identified and are helping Ukraine acquire additional longer-range anti-aircraft systems and ammunitions for those systems. The new assistance package also includes 9,000 anti-armor systems. These are portable... high accuracy shoulder-mounted missiles that Ukrainian forces have been using with great effect to destroy invading tanks and armored vehicles. It will include 7,000 small arms, machine guns, shot guns, grenade launchers to equip the Ukrainians including the brave women and men defending their cities as civilians and they're on the country side as well," Biden said.

Biden added, that the aid will also include drones, "which demonstrates our commitment to sending our must cutting edge systems to Ukraine for its defense."

Biden noted that security assistance will be in partnership with allies.

"And we're not doing this alone. Our allies and partners have stepped up to provide significant shipments of security assistance and will continue to help facilitate these deliveries as well. The United States and our allies and partners are fully committed to surging weapons of assistance to the Ukrainians. More will be coming as we source additional stocks of equipment that we're ready to transfer," he said.