US State Department: US preparing more aid packages for Ukraine
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The United States government is working on additional funding packages for Ukraine, U.S. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said during a press briefing on May 8.
The U.S. passed a long-awaited $61 billion military aid package in April after six months of political infighting and delays.
"We are working on other packages," Miller told reporters.
"I think you can expect to see us get back to the kind of tempo that we were at before we had this break in funding."
Miller mentioned the recent supplemental package worth $1 billion, announced shortly after the foreign aid bill was signed into law. The aid includes ammunition for HIMARS, 155 mm artillery shells, air defense interceptors, and armored vehicles.
Miller said plans for future aid were underway, but declined to provide details on what the packages would include or when they would be announced.
"You should expect to see additional funding coming, but I'm not going to give you a timetable today on when we'll make such an announcement," he said.
The influx of U.S. aid may not immediately improve battlefield conditions for Ukrainian troops facing personnel and ammunition shortages at the front lines. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told senators on May 8 that it is too early to observe the effects of U.S. weapons on the ground.
"It is hard to buy back time," Austin said.
"But... I think that without this help, Ukraine would have a very tough time defending against the superior force."
