President Biden announced Wednesday that he has approved the transfer of helicopters, artillery systems and armored vehicles as part of an $800 million package of additional military aid to Ukraine.
Why it matters: The US and its European allies are drastically increasing the scale and scope of their military aid ahead of a massive Russian offensive in the eastern Donbass region that officials believe will determine the course of the war.
- Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for almost an hour on Wednesday afternoon before publicly announcing the new aid shipment.
- “The Ukrainian military used the weapons we provided to devastating effect. As Russia prepares to intensify its attack in the Donbass region, the United States will continue to provide self-defense capabilities to Ukraine,” Biden said in a statement.
Details: The $800 million package includes:
- 11 Mi-17 helicopters originally earmarked for US-backed Afghan security forces before the fall of Kabul
- 18 howitzers and 40,000 artillery shells
- 300 switchblade drones
- 500 Javelin missiles
- 200 M113 armored personnel carriers
- 100 armored multirole wheeled vehicles with high mobility
- 30,000 sets of body armor
- Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear protective equipment
The big picture: The new package, funded by the President’s power to draw from existing US holdings, brings all US security aid to Ukraine $2.5 billion since the Russian invasion again.
- The Pentagon released a fact sheet last week detailing the specific weapons the US has provided to Ukraine, in a marked departure from the early weeks of the war, when officials were reluctant to discuss military aid in detail.
- The list included 50 million bullets, over 5,000 Javelin anti-tank systems and over 1,400 Stinger anti-aircraft systems – key weapons that will also be included in the new support package.
Between the lines: The US and its allies are no longer trying to distinguish between “offensive” and “defensive” weapons as Russian atrocities escalate and it becomes clear that the war will likely turn into a protracted struggle for eastern territory.
- “[W]We’re at a point in the United States and among many members of the NATO alliance where the key question is, ‘What does Ukraine need and how can we deliver it?’” Jake Sullivan, White House national security adviser said Sunday.
- Biden said in his statement Wednesday that the government will continue to facilitate the transfer of equipment from allies in Europe, such as the S-300 missile system that Slovakia sent to Ukraine last week after deploying a Patriot battery had received from the USA
Something to see: Zelenskyy earlier Wednesday published a detailed list entitled “What Ukraine Needs ASAP to Win the War,” focusing on six categories:
1. Heavy artillery
- Artillery Ammo: As much as possible
- Artillery Cannons: At least 100 units + ammo
- Multiple Missile Launch Systems: At least 100 units + ammo
2. Heavy Armor
- Armored vehicles: 600 units
- Tank: 300 units
3. Air Defense Systems
- S-300 or BUK or comparable Western systems: at least a few dozen each
4. Attack aircraft
- Su-24 jets: At least 30 units
- Missiles with a range of more than 30 km: At least 30 units
5. Anti-ship missiles
- Harpoon or anti-ship missile RBS 15: 300 units
6. Light vehicles
- Pickups and/or Trucks: At least 300 units
What you say: “This military support will allow Ukraine to regain territory lost since February 24 and bring Russia to the negotiating table – not as a superpower issuing ultimatums, but as a neighbor ready to make real concessions,” Zelenskyy said in his request to the allies.
- “However, without additional weapons, this war will become an endless bloodbath, spreading misery, suffering and destruction.”