US allocates $1bln for Ukraine in first batch of new military aid pack
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According to Reuters, the US has begun preparing the first batch of the military aid package for Ukraine.
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Ukrainian soldiers carry shells to fire at Russian positions on the front line, near the city of Bakhmut, in the Donetsk region, on March 25, 2024 (AP)
The United States is preparing a military aid package for Ukraine worth one billion dollars, Reuters reported, citing US officials.
The agency clarified on Tuesday that the package would be the first to be obtained from the dedicated Ukraine, "Israel", and Taiwan bill, which is yet to be signed.
According to officials, the US aid package includes "Stinger" air defense missiles, additional ammunition for high-mobility artillery rocket systems, and 155mm artillery ammunition. It also includes anti-tank ammunition of the TOW and Javelin types and other weapons that can be used immediately on the battlefield.
This comes as the US Senate advanced a foreign aid package of some $95 billion in aid for Ukraine, "Israel" and the Indo-Pacific region.
The series of foreign aid bills were passed on April 20 by the US House of Representatives which then pushed them forward to the Senate for consideration as an amendment to the previous Senate aid bill.
The Ukraine bill also calls for the transfer of ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile Systems) with a range of up to 190 miles, despite Russian warnings.
This comes amid Pentagon concerns that the use of Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) to aid Ukraine would compromise US military preparedness.
However, according to Reuters, tens of billions of dollars in the bill were earmarked to buy replacements for weapons sent to Ukraine along with transportation and administrative overhead.
Politico also reported, citing sources from the White House, that the US is hoping to send a portion of military aid to Ukraine from the national security supplemental package before May 9.
However, the report notes it is improbable that all the weapons included in the package will be delivered by then.
"It depends on the capability. Some things are easier to transit and others," an official was quoted as saying. "Some aid, like artillery shells … will be going in, but other things may take some more time."
Read more: New Ukraine aid to exceed previous, may include armored vehicles
