According to White House sources, President Biden intends to announce an extra $800 million in security aid to Ukraine on Wednesday, just hours before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is slated to give a virtual address to Congress.
Mr. Biden will provide specifics on the new military assistance in the late morning, shortly after Mr. Zelensky delivers a list of military equipment and other assistance that he believes will be required to fend off a Russian invasion, and in particular to maintain control of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, during the day. More anti-aircraft batteries, which will allow them to harass — and even shoot down — Russian delivery planes and fighter jets as they arrive in the area surrounding the beleaguered city, is high on the priority list.
Beyond requesting weaponry and jets, Mr. Zelensky has urged NATO to implement a no-fly zone over the country, a step that the allies have refused to do since it would place them in direct conflict with Russian armed troops. It would need American soldiers to knock down Russian air defences – from inside Russia — in order to enforce the no-fly zone, and President Biden has said that such a step is unnecessary. Russia has warned that imposing a no-fly zone would be considered an act of war.
The administration said last week that it will provide Ukraine with $200 million in security assistance. The Biden administration authorised a $350 million armaments deal for Ukraine in February of this year. Throughout the previous year, the Biden administration has approved a total of $1.2 billion in armaments for Ukraine, according to administration officials.
According to a senior White House official, these weaponry have included at least 600 Stinger anti-aircraft missiles and around 2,600 Javelin anti-tank missiles, among other things. Ukraine, on the other hand, need more advanced anti-missile systems.
Ukraine has received five Mi-17 helicopters, three patrol boats, and more than 70 other vehicles of various types from the United States so far this year.
The help from the United States has also included small armaments, including 200 grenade launchers, 200 shotguns, 200 machine guns, and approximately 40 million rounds of ammunition, according to a government spokesperson. A total of one million grenade, mortar, and artillery rounds as well as body armour, helmets, tactical gear, and military medical supplies have also been delivered by the United States, according to the official statement.
It is believed that the weapons are sourced from existing United States military stockpiles in Europe and are flown into neighbouring countries like as Poland and Romania, from whence they are transported overland into western Ukraine, according to the official.
The Biden administration has also requested $4.25 billion in additional money for economic and humanitarian aid to Ukrainians from the United States Congress.
Additionally, Mr. Zelensky has requested that Europe and the United States give Ukraine with Polish MIG-29 fighter planes, which are now in storage in Poland. Rather of handing its outdated Russian-made fighters to Ukraine, Poland has volunteered to give over the aircraft and weapons to the United States, which would transport them to a U.S military facility in Germany before transferring them to the country in question.
That concept was rejected by the Biden administration because of the possibility that it would draw NATO directly into the conflict. Instead, the Biden administration gave Ukraine with anti-tank and anti-aircraft weaponry, according to the Associated Press.
