The US government announced this Wednesday a new military aid package for Ukraine worth 225 million euros, the last tranche available as the US Congress continues to block new aid to Kiev.
In a statement, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken detailed that the latest aid package for 2023 includes air defense munitions, other air defense system components and additional munitions for high-mobility artillery missile systems.
The aid package, worth $250 million (225 million euros, at the current exchange rate), also includes 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition, anti-armor ammunition and more than 15 million rounds of ammunition, he further explained.
“Our assistance has played an important role in supporting our Ukrainian partners in defending their country and freedom against Russian aggression”emphasizes Blinken, quoted in the press release.
The head of North American diplomacy also emphasized the urgency for Congress to act “as quickly as possible” to unlock new aid for Ukraine.
The US Congress is debating a new military aid package for Ukraine, but Republican opposition has raised objections, with some members of Congress favoring an investment in security at the border with Mexico.
The United States has pledged more than $110 billion (100 billion euros at the current exchange rate) since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022.
Already this month, a few days before the work break in Congress, lawmakers approved a defense budget for 2024, allocating $300 million (247 million euros) for Kiev, a minimum amount compared to the $61 billion (56 billion euros) requested by the White House, led by Democrat Joe Biden.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, on the grounds of protecting pro-Russian separatist minorities in the east and “denazifying” the neighboring country, which has been independent since 1991 after the collapse of the former Soviet Union and has since been away from Moscow’s power. exert influence and get closer to Europe and the West.
Since the fall, Moscow has stepped up nighttime attacks on Ukrainian cities, at a time when doubts are being raised about continued Western military support for Kiev.
The war in Ukraine has already caused tens of thousands of deaths on both sides, but no significant progress has been made in recent months, with the two warring sides remaining irreducible to their territorial positions and unopen to negotiating concessions.
Source: DN
