After meeting his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the G7 meeting in Hiroshima, Japan, President Joe Biden announced an additional security package worth $375 that includes more ammunition, artillery and armored vehicles to bolster Ukraine’s battlefield capabilities.
This security assistance package includes additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems; artillery ammunition; Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles; anti-tank weapons; Laser-guided rocket system munitions; Demolition munitions; Armored medical treatment vehicles; trucks and trailers to transport heavy equipment; spare parts and other field equipment essential to strengthening Ukraine’s defenders on the battlefield.
This marks the Biden Administration’s 38th drawdown of arms and equipment from the Department of Defense inventories for Ukraine since August 2021.
At a joint news conference before meeting President Zelenskyy, Biden said the brutality with which Putin is conducting this full-blown assault is the reason why the United States continues to do all it can to strengthen Ukraine’s ability to defend itself, including launching some new joint efforts with its partners to train Ukrainian pilots on a fourth-generation fighter aircraft like the F-16.
The leaders discussed ongoing efforts to further strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses as Russia continues its missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities. In addition, President Biden underscored the support of the United States and other G7 nations for Ukraine’s reconstruction, including efforts to rebuild its energy infrastructure, and Ukraine’s implementation of reforms needed to fulfill its Euro-Atlantic aspirations.
Last week, the G7 also imposed hundreds of new sanctions and export controls against Russia’s assets to keep pressure on President Vladimir Putin.
The latest round of U.S. military aid came a day after Russia warned the West of “enormous risks” if it provides Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets.
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