New Ukraine aid to exceed previous, may include armored vehicles
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Sources told Politico that the package is expected to include a wide range of armored vehicles, including Bradley Fighting Vehicles, Humvees, and M113 armored personnel carriers.
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Ukrainian soldiers from the 56th Separate Motorized Infantry Mariupol Brigade prepare to fire a multiple-launch rocket system based on a pickup truck towards Russian positions at the front line, near Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, March 5, 2024. (AP)
The Biden administration's latest Ukraine aid package will surpass previous ones in scale and substance, as it features armored vehicles alongside air defenses and artillery, Politico reported on Monday, citing two US officials.
Insiders from the Pentagon revealed that the forthcoming package will be "significantly" larger than the previous $300 million allocation.
Sources told Politico that the package is expected to include a wide range of armored vehicles, including Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs), Humvees, and M113 armored personnel carriers.
While the specifics are still being discussed among Pentagon officials, they express optimism about the swift deployment of munitions once Biden greenlights the legislation, which is slated for passage in the Senate as early as Tuesday, as per the report.
Read more: New $61bln aid to Kiev will enrich the US, devastate Ukraine: Kremlin
Earlier today, a US defense official informed Sputnik that the Pentagon stands ready to act promptly once Congress approves the new funding.
However, the official cautioned against premature discussion of the potential size and contents of the aid package.
During a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday, President Biden assured expeditious delivery of new security assistance packages to Ukraine, as per the White House statement, but no specific timeline was provided.
The House of Representatives recently approved a $61 billion Ukraine aid package, with the Senate expected to vote on it this week.
Read more: Delayed aid left Ukrainians outgunned for four months: Stoltenberg
Pentagon to cut weapon programs to stay under budget for 2025
A previous report by Politico on February 22 revealed that the Pentagon is set to reduce $10 billion in weapon programs to adhere to the budget for fiscal year 2025.
The suggested reductions encompass scaling back purchases of F-35 fighter jets, an attack submarine, and the development of new army helicopters and drones.
The Pentagon intends to submit its budget to Congress in early March, and it is anticipated to be under $850 billion for fiscal year 2025, according to the report.
The report states that the expected budget proposal will involve the cancellation of the OH-58 Kiowa scout helicopter replacement, the termination of a service-life upgrade program for the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, a delay in the production of improved turbine engines for the AH-64 Apache and Black Hawk helicopters, and the retirement of the fleet of AAI RQ-7 Shadow and AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven drones.
Under the 2025 budget, the Navy is anticipated to only have the capacity to construct one new Virginia-class submarine, as opposed to the usual two in recent decades. It's worth noting that the construction cost of a single Virginia-class submarine exceeds four billion US dollars. Additionally, the report indicates that the US Air Force is expected to decrease its purchases of F-35 fighter jets by 18 percent this year.
