US announces nearly USD 1 billion more aid for Ukraine

Local residents visit the Lychakiv cemetery on the Day of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Dec 6. Pic/AFP

The US will provide nearly $1 billion more in longer-term weapons support to Ukraine, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Saturday as the Biden administration rushes to spend all the congressionally approved money it has left to bolster Kyiv before President-elect Donald Trump takes office next month.

The latest package will include more drones and munitions for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, that the US has provided. While these weapons are critically needed now, they will be funded through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which pays for longer-term systems to be put on contract.

The weapon systems purchased are often intended to support Ukraine's future military capabilities, not make an immediate difference on the battlefield.

The $988 million package is on top of an additional $725 million in US military assistance, including counter-drone systems and HIMARS munitions, announced recently.

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