United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken has said that in this first week of 2023, the United States has continued to stand strongly behind Ukraine and its European allies, partners by announcing more than $3.75 billion in new military aid to defend itself against Russia.
According to the statement released by the State Department on Friday while this assistance includes $2.85 billion drawdown from stocks of the Department of Defense to provide immediately to Ukraine and $225 million in Foreign Military Financing to build the long-term capacity and support modernization of Ukraine’s military.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24th of last year, thousands of Ukrainian civilians have been killed, maimed, and wounded and many have been victims of war crimes other atrocities committed by Russia’s Vlamidir Putin’s unprovoked, needless, and brutal war while millions displaced.
Report has it that over 5.9 million internally displaced in Ukraine, and more than 7.8 million refugees from Ukraine have fled the country as the Kremlin further made life harder by stymying essential food shipments from reaching developing countries and exacerbating volatility in the energy markets, which has affected supply chains and compounded inflation.
Blinken said, “Pursuant to a delegation of authority from the President, today I am authorizing our 29th drawdown of U.S. arms and equipment for Ukraine since August 2021.
“This $2.85 billion drawdown will provide Ukraine with Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, artillery systems, armored personnel carriers, surface to air missiles, ammunition, and other items to support Ukraine as it bravely defends its people, its sovereignty, and its territorial integrity.
“I am grateful to Congress for continuing to provide this increased drawdown authority, most recently under the Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023 that was signed into law by the President last month”, he said.
The Secretary of State added that this assistance also includes $682 million in Foreign Military Financing for European partners and allies to help incentivize and backfill donations of military equipment to Ukraine.
Blinken also announced that working with Congress, they planned to provide an additional $907 million of Foreign Military Financing under the Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022. “Funds will support Ukraine, countries impacted by Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“$225 million for Ukraine will be used to cover wartime requirements of Armed Forces of Ukraine to provide them with means necessary to defend against Russia’s aggression and to support the sustainment of equipment previously provided to Ukraine under Department of Defense’s Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative and under previous drawdowns.
“In the longer term, this Foreign Military Financing funding may be used to rebuild Ukraine’s capacity to provide for its own defense through development and modernization of its armed forces”, he stated.
He noted that this will bring total U.S. military assistance for Ukraine to an unprecedented approximately $24.9 billion since the beginning of the Administration.
While additionally, the over $682 million in Foreign Military Financing for European allies and partners will be used to build the capacities of those impacted by Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“To deter and defend against emergent threats to territorial sovereignty, increase professionalization and modernization of security forces, enhance partner military integration with NATO, and strengthen defensive cyber capabilities”, he said.