US will soon announce new military aid package for Ukraine
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The administration of US President Joe Biden is soon planning to announce a new military aid package to Ukraine, says the White House spokesperson Olivia Dalton told reporters during a press briefing aboard Air Force One.
"We are sending a significant amount of weapons and security assistance to Ukraine right now to help with their ongoing battlefield needs in response to russian aggression. We've sent artillery, ammunition, armored vehicles, critical air defense capabilities. We're in regular contact with them (the Ukrainian side, ed.) about their battlefield needs. I expect we're going to have more security assistance to announce soon," she said.
Asked about whether the US would send F16 jets to Ukraine, Dalton reiterated President Joe Biden's comments on Monday and pointed to the billions of dollars in aid provided so far.
Biden said "no" when asked by a reporter whether he would send the jets to Ukraine. His answer comes amid Ukraine's efforts to obtain fight jets for continuous de-occupation of territories russia captured in the course of its war against Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has recently campaigned for fighter jets to help further counteroffensive measures. Biden has said the planes aren't on the table, while the US still provides aid in other equipment, including Abrams tanks.
The Pentagon announced a $2.5 billion Ukraine security package on January 19, including, for the first time, Stryker armored vehicles. The latest package includes 90 Stryker armored personnel carriers and 59 more Bradley infantry fighting vehicles. The previous package included 50 Bradleys, bringing the total given to more than 100.
"The United States also continues to rally the world to support Ukraine. We have seen incredible solidarity from our allies and partners, including at today's Ukraine Defense Contact Group, and we applaud the more than 50 countries who have come together to make significant contributions to support Ukraine," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
As of January 19, the United States has committed $26.7 billion to Ukraine in security aid since the beginning of russia's war nearly a year ago.
