US announces $300 million defense aid package for Ukraine
This is the first package since last December, as U.S. funds for Kyiv have been blocked by disputes in Congress.
This is the first package since last December, as U.S. funds for Kyiv have been blocked by disputes in Congress.
Drawing on the Pentagon reserves would free up about $200 million in immediate military aid to Ukraine.
Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will discuss bilateral security cooperation and military support for Ukraine.
It is critical for Ukraine to receive additional U.S. funding not only to defend itself but also to take back Russian-occupied territories, Pentagon spokesperson General Pat Ryder said on Feb. 29.
The Pentagon is considering tapping into the remaining funds in the presidential drawdown authority (PDA), even though it remains uncertain whether Congress approves funding to replenish these funds, CNN reported on Feb. 28, citing U.S. defense officials.
"So if you've seen with most of our PDAs (Presidential Drawdown Authority), we've been able to surge systems and capabilities pretty rapidly, within a few days," Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said in response to a question on how quickly the aid can be delivered.
Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov spoke with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Feb. 20, Umerov wrote on Facebook.