Four 105mm Howitzers and 36,000 105mm artillery rounds are included in latest US military package worth $2.8 billion to Ukraine (Credit: Wikipedia)

By  Gary  Raynaldo     DIPLOMATIC   TIMES

Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Thursday the U.S. has pledged an additional $2.8 billion in military aid to Ukraine. Blinken made an unscheduled visit to Kyiv where he met with senior Ukranian officials including President Zelenskyy. The American Secretary of State said he informed Zelenskyy that, pursuant to a delegation of authority from President Biden, he authorizing the twentieth drawdown since September 2021 of U.S. arms and equipment for Ukraine. “This $675 million drawdown includes additional arms, munitions, and equipment from U.S. Department of Defense inventories ̶ equipment that Ukraine’s forces have used so effectively for their country’s defense.

“This $675 million drawdown includes additional arms, munitions, and equipment from U.S. Department of Defense inventories ̶ equipment that Ukraine’s forces have used so effectively for their country’s defense. In addition, we are also notifying Congress today of our intent to make a further $2.2 billion available in long-term investments under Foreign Military Financing to bolster the security of Ukraine and 18 of its neighbors; including many of our NATO Allies, as well as other regional security partners potentially at risk of future Russian aggression.”

-Secretary of State Antony Blinken

Capabilities in $678 Million  U.S. Military Package Include:

• Additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS)
• Four 105mm Howitzers and 36,000 105mm artillery rounds
• Additional High-speed Anti-radiation missiles (HARM)
• 100 Armored High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV)
• 1.5 million rounds of small arms ammunition
• More than 5,000 anti-armor systems
• 1,000 155mm rounds of Remote Anti-Armor Mine (RAAM) Systems
• Additional grenade launchers and small arms
• 50 armored medical treatment vehicles
• Night vision devices and other field equipment

In total, the United States has committed approximately $15.2 billion in security assistance to Ukraine

since January 2021. Since 2014, the United States has committed more than $17.2 billion in security assistance to Ukraine and more than $14.5 billion since the beginning of Russia’s unprovoked and brutal invasion on February 24.  

“It has been seven months since President Putin’s February invasion of Ukraine, and the war’s terrible toll continues to mount. Thousands of civilians killed or wounded, 13 million Ukrainian civilians forced to flee their homes, historic cities pounded to rubble, horrifying reports of ongoing atrocities, nuclear power stations put at risk, food shortages, skyrocketing food prices around the world. Ukraine’s extraordinary front-line defenders continue to courageously fight for their country’s freedom, and President Biden has been clear we will support the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes. I reiterated this message to President Zelenskyy and his team today in Kyiv, which remains ̶ and will remain ̶ the capital of a sovereign, independent Ukraine.”    -U.S. Secretary of State  Blinken