The Biden Administration announced today the largest package of military largess yet provided to Ukraine, more than $3 billion worth, of which $2.85 billion is to be weapons and military equipment pulled from U.S. stocks for direct transfer to Ukraine. The package includes 50 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles with 500 TOW anti-tank missiles and 250,000 rounds of 25mm ammunition, 100 M113 Armored Personnel Carriers, 55 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles (MRAPs), 138 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs) and an addition 18 155mm self-propelled howitzers, along with a variety of other weapons, munitions and other vehicles and equipment. The package also includes $225 million in Foreign Military Financing “to contribute to the long-term capacity and modernization of Ukraine’s military.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced an additional $682 million in Foreign Military Financing for European countries to help incentivize and backfill donations of military equipment to Ukraine. Blinken also said that the administration plans to provide an additional $907 million of Foreign Military Financing under the Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022 to “support Ukraine and countries impacted by Russia’s war in Ukraine.” The total support that the Biden Administration has provided to Ukraine will amount to $24.9 billion.
Today’s announcements followed a White House statement yesterday after a phone call between President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, which reported that they “expressed their common determination to continue to provide the necessary financial, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support to Ukraine for as long as needed.” To this end, the statement continued, “the United States intends to supply Ukraine with Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles, and Germany intends to provide Ukraine with Marder Infantry Fighting Vehicles. Both countries plan to train Ukrainian forces on the respective systems.” Furthermore, Biden and Scholz “affirmed their intention to further support Ukraine’s urgent requirement for air defense capabilities.” Germany will do this by supplying one of its own Patriot batteries to Ukraine. Later, during a cabinet meeting, Biden indicated that the U.S. will send a second U.S. Patriot battery in addition to the one announced last month.
Reuters reported today that Germany intends to supply 40 Marder vehicles to Ukraine, while Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck (Greens) said Berlin could ultimately send its entire functioning fleet of the vehicles, thought to number about 390.
