On Friday, the Biden White House announced it would write another multi-million dollar check to Ukraine in addition to the $113.4 billion it has already given the country.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that the United States would provide Ukraine with a $250 million aid package that includes missiles, armored vehicles, and anti-tank weapons. Austin said the aid package will “surge in more capabilities to meet Ukraine's evolving requirements.”
“This announcement demonstrates the United States’ enduring commitment to Ukraine’s self-defense against Russia’s brutal aggression,” the State Department said. “This assistance will be deployed as quickly as possible to bolster Ukraine’s defense of its territory and its people. As President Biden has made clear, the United States and the international coalition we have assembled will continue to stand with Ukraine.”
Despite receiving hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. aid, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has complained that the assistance could be coming in faster for his liking. He will attend the Ukraine Contact Defense Group meeting to lobby for faster aid deliveries, particularly air defense and long-range arms.
Following the announcement of the aid package, the Biden White House refused to lift a restriction on Ukraine of firing American-made long-range missiles into Russia, which Zelensky has pressured the U.S. to lift.
“We need to have this long-range capability, not only on the divided territory of Ukraine but also on the Russian territory so that Russia is motivated to seek peace,” Zelensky said. “We need to make Russian cities and even Russian soldiers think about what they need: peace or Putin.”
This comes as concerns grow that the $6.2 billion in the presidential drawdown authority (PDA) allows the president to transfer defense supplies from existing military stocks for emergencies. The PDA, which is used to supply defense articles to Ukraine, may expire by Sept. 30. The Biden Administration is reportedly in talks with Congress to save the funds before the deadline. The PDA is also used to deliver parts of the $61 billion in aid approved by Congress earlier this year.