US set to announce $275mln support package for Ukraine
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This follows US President Joe Biden's authorization of the provision of anti-personnel landmines to Ukraine, which is expected to follow through despite strong opposition from humanitarian groups.
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US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin delivers a speech during a groundbreaking ceremony for the Combined Coordination Center at Camp Aguinaldo military headquarters in Quezon City, Philippines, on November 18, 2024. (AP)
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters in Laos that the White House is preparing to unveil a support package for Ukraine worth up to $275 million.
“Later today, the White House will be announcing additional security assistance for Ukraine worth up to $275 million to meet critical battlefield needs, and that would include munitions for rockets systems and artillery and anti-tank weapons,” Austin said Wednesday.
The latest aid package comes as the Biden administration rushes to deliver the remaining approximately $7 billion in military aid to Ukraine before Trump assumes office, amid concerns that his administration would halt weapons shipments before they reach Kiev.
The new aid package will include HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) ammunition, artillery shells, and Javelin surface-to-air missiles, in addition to a wide range of spare parts and equipment, according to officials.
Two administration officials told Politico on Nov. 6 that the White House plans to expedite the weapons delivery ahead of the January 2025 inauguration, as Trump has previously said he would cease military aid to Ukraine unless it agrees to hold peace negotiations with Russia.
Despite the President's ability to deliver existing weapons stocks through presidential drawdown authority, White House officials are concerned that the delivery of the large amount of undelivered weapons may take months to reach Ukraine — well past Trump's inauguration into office.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on October 30 said the US has transferred to Ukraine only about 10% of the $61 billion aid approved by Congress in April 2024.
Of the $61 billion aid package, only $4.3 billion remains to pull existing weapons stocks, while a further $2.1 billion in funding remains to put weapons on contract with US defense companies.
The latest military aid package comes amid a significant shift in US policy as Biden authorized Ukraine to use US-supplied long-range ATACMS missiles for strikes inside Russia on Nov. 17, a move Ukraine had been seeking for months.
Austin explained that the shift in policy toward Ukraine is a response to Russia’s evolving tactics. “They have a need for things that can help slow down that effort,” Austin said of the Ukrainian military, which is losing territory at an increasing pace in the east.
Meanwhile, an earlier decision today to provide anti-personnel mines to Ukraine marks Washington’s second major policy shift regarding Ukraine this week.
Biden authorizes use of anti-personnel mines in Ukraine
Reuters reported earlier, citing a US official, that US President Joe Biden authorized the provision of anti-personnel landmines to Ukraine.
This move is seen as a way to help slow Russian advances in eastern Ukraine, particularly when combined with other US-supplied munitions.
The United States expects Ukraine to deploy the mines within its own territory, with the stipulation that they not be used in areas populated by Ukrainian civilians, the official added.
The decision will follow through despite strong opposition from humanitarian groups, who argue that the weapons pose an excessive risk to civilians. Over 100 countries have signed a treaty banning their use, although the United States has not joined the agreement.
While the US has supplied Ukraine with anti-tank mines throughout its war with Russia, the addition of anti-personnel mines is intended to help slow the progress of Russian ground forces, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The same official further claimed that the US mines differ from Russia's in that they are "non-persistent", meaning they become inactive after a predetermined period. These mines require a battery to detonate and will not explode once the battery is depleted, as per the official.
