On Saturday, the United States announced a $988 million aid package that includes new weapons and equipment to help Ukraine continue its fight against Russia’s invasion.
The package almost halved the $2.21 billion that is still available in the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, reflecting the Biden administration’s commitment to purchasing weapons from industry rather than drawing from US weapons stocks.
The Pentagon plans to use the USAI funds to buy drones, ammunition for Lockheed Martin’s High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), and spare parts for artillery equipment maintenance.
The annual Reagan National Defense Forum in California, which brought together policymakers and the defense industry, unveiled the package on Saturday.
The Biden administration frequently uses the Presidential Drawdown Authority, which grants President Joe Biden the authority to remove excess goods and services from US stocks in an emergency without Congress’s approval.
We will purchase new weapons from manufacturers using the separate USAI funds.
About $6 billion in congressionally authorized presidential drawdown authority remains available to the Biden administration, including funds authorized in 2024 and funds the Pentagon found after overestimating the value of arms shipped to Ukraine.
The United States has provided Ukraine with over $62 billion in security assistance since the Russian invasion in February 2022.
