13 minutes agoU.S. gives another billion military aid to Ukraine
Periskopi(4 years ago)
(4 years ago)The United States has announced another new military assistance to Ukraine of one billion dollars, pledging that this will be the largest shipment of rockets, ammunition and other weapons from the Ukrainian Army Department's Defence Reserve. Pentagon announcement on August 8th came after [...]
The Pentagon's announcement on August 8th came after the American Agency for International Development (USAID) pledged an additional $ 4.5 billion to the Ukrainian government for basic services, such as the flow of electricity to hospitals and the delivery of humanitarian supplies to Ukrainians.
Military aid includes high-speed artillery missile systems, HIMARS, for which Ukraine has said they have been effective in helping its forces on the battlefield.
Besides the HIMARS missiles, aid includes thousands of artillery bullets, mortar systems, spears and ammunition and other equipment, the Pentagon said in a statement.
Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelensky said in a Twitter post that he is grateful to the US for the assistance provided and that every dollar is a step towards defeating Russia.
“I am grateful to US people for sharing another $1 billion package for Ukraine. Every dollar of such help is a step towards defeating the aggressor. We will always remember the support of the American leadership at this time when help is most necessary! ”, he said.
This is the 18th aid of equipment by Ukraine's Department of Defence inventory since August 2021.
In total, the United States has provided about $9.8 billion for security for Ukraine since the beginning of the Benden administration”, Pentagon spokesman Todd Breasseal said in a statement.
So far, the largest security assistance package announcement was $1 billion on 15 June. This aid included $650 million under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, in addition to a $350 million withdrawal.
U n USAID said that along with the assistance it announced on August 8th, total budgetary support since Russia's invasion in February amounts to $8.5 billion, the REL reports.
The financing, co-ordinated with the US Treasury Department through the World Bank, will go to the Ukrainian government in installments, starting with a $3 billion disbursement in August, U said.AID in a news release.
The new funds will help it maintain essential functions, including social and financial assistance for poor people, disabled children and millions of internally displaced people.
The World Bank estimates that 55 percent of Ukrainians will live in poverty by the end of 2023 as a result of the war and the large number of displaced persons. This is compared to 2.5 percent living in poverty before the start of the war.
