US to announce $375Mln 'arms package to Ukraine including cluster ammo
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A US official confirmed plans to announce a $375 million aid package, including medium-range cluster munitions, as early as Wednesday.
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A key artillery shell in Ukraine's fight against Russia, the 155 mm howitzer shell, is in production at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Scranton, Pa., on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024. (AP)
A US official confirmed to Sputnik on Tuesday that the US will announce a $375 million aid package as early as Wednesday, which will include medium-range cluster munitions.
"Confirmed," the official said when asked to confirm reports on this matter.
The prospects of sending additional aid to Ukraine have become a matter of contention, especially as the upcoming US elections approach.
On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed doubts in an interview about former President Donald Trump's ability to swiftly end the war if re-elected, despite Trump's previous claims. He suggested that Trump "doesn’t really know how to stop the war even if he might think he knows how."
Zelensky also voiced concerns about Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, Trump’s running mate, labeling him "too radical" on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Vance, a vocal critic of US involvement in Ukraine, has argued that the conflict is not crucial to US interests and believes Ukraine will eventually need to negotiate with Russia to bring an end to the hostilities. Trump, in contrast, has repeatedly boasted that he could resolve the war within 24 hours of returning to the White House.
Zelensky to New Yorker on Trump and Vance.
— Alex Marquardt (@MarquardtA) September 23, 2024
Trump "doesn’t really know how to stop the war even if he might think he knows how."
Vance "is too radical." pic.twitter.com/BIYtQoGrM8
Following the interview, Donald Trump Jr. expressed outrage over the Ukrainian leader's comments in a post on X (formerly Twitter), saying, "So a foreign leader who has received billions of dollars in funding from American taxpayers, comes to our country and has the nerve to attack the GOP ticket for President? And he does this, right after a pro-Ukraine zealot tried to assassinate my father? Disgraceful!"
Trump Jr.'s post seemed to allude to Ryan Wesley Routh, a 58-year-old pro-Ukraine supporter and convicted felon, who was identified as the suspect in an attempted shooting at Trump's Florida golf course earlier this month. Routh had reportedly expressed support for Ukraine in several interviews with Western media outlets.
Zelensky is currently in the US attending the United Nations General Assembly and promoting his 'victory plan,' a proposal for defeating Russia with continued Western support.
As part of his visit, he is scheduled to meet with President Joe Biden and two key presidential candidates—Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Read more: Biden, Starmer delay decision on long-range missiles to Ukraine
