Exclusive-U.S. readies new $1 billion Ukraine weapons package
By Idrees Ali and Mike Stone
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Biden administration’s subsequent safety help bundle for Ukraine is anticipated to be $1 billion, one of many largest thus far, and embody munitions for long-range weapons and armored medical transport autos, three sources briefed on the matter informed Reuters on Friday.
The bundle is anticipated to be introduced as early as Monday and would add to about $8.8 billion in help america has given Ukraine since Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24.
The officers, talking on the situation of anonymity, stated that President Joe Biden had not but signed the following weapons bundle. They cautioned that weapons packages can change in worth and content material earlier than they’re signed.
Nevertheless, if signed in its present type, it will be valued at $1 billion and embody munitions for HIMARS, NASAMS surface-to-air missile system ammunition and as many as 50 M113 armored medical transports.
The brand new bundle follows a current https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/pentagon-approves-plan-treat-ukrainian-troops-us-hospital-germany-official-2022-07-26 Pentagon resolution to permit Ukrainians to obtain medical therapy at a U.S. navy hospital in Germany close to Ramstein air base.
Final Monday, the Pentagon introduced a separate safety help bundle for Ukraine valued at as much as $550 million, together with extra ammunition for Excessive Mobility Artillery Rocket Programs (HIMARS).
The White Home declined to touch upon the bundle.
The brand new bundle could be funded underneath the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), through which the president can authorize the switch of articles and companies from U.S. shares with out congressional approval in response to an emergency.
HIMARS play a key function within the artillery duel between Ukraine and Russia has been described as “grinding” with little or no motion of the entrance line in Ukraine’s japanese Donbas area.
Since Russian troops poured over the border in February in what Putin termed a “particular navy operation”, the battle has settled right into a warfare of attrition fought primarily within the east and south of Ukraine.
Moscow is attempting to realize management of the largely Russian-speaking Donbas, comprised of Luhansk and Donetsk provinces, the place pro-Moscow separatists seized territory after the Kremlin annexed Crimea to the south in 2014.
Up to now america has despatched 16 HIMARS to Ukraine and on July 1 pledged to ship two Nationwide Superior Floor-to-Air Missile Programs (NASAMS).
It was unclear if the NASAMS launchers, made collectively by Raytheon Applied sciences Corp and Norway’s Kongsberg, are already in Ukraine if the munitions had been for launchers donated by one other nation, or in the event that they had been being prepositioned.
The US beforehand dedicated 200 M113 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine.
The armored personnel carriers outfitted with medical gear might make the combat with Russia extra survivable for Ukrainian troops who might then be despatched to Germany for additional medical therapy.
The Kyiv authorities stated in June that 100 to 200 Ukrainian troops had been being killed per day.
(Reporting by Idrees Ali and Mike Stone in Washington; Enhancing by Mary Milliken and Josie Kao)
