U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin testifies during a House Appropriations and Defense Subcommittee hearing on President Biden’s proposed Pentagon budget request at the Capitol on March 23, 2023 in Washington.
Michael A. McCoy | Reuters
The United States on Saturday announced a $988 million aid package that includes new weapons and equipment for Ukraine as it continues its fight against Russian aggression.
The package nearly eliminates the available $2.21 billion remaining in the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, as the Biden administration works to buy weapons from industry rather than raise funds from U.S. arms inventories. Divide in half.
According to the Department of Defense, USAI’s funding will be used to purchase Lockheed Martin High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) ammunition, drones, and spare parts to maintain artillery equipment.
The package announcement was made Saturday as defense industry and policymakers meet at the annual Reagan Defense Forum in California.
The Biden administration has frequently made use of presidential drawdown powers, which give President Joe Biden the power to transfer excess goods and services from U.S. stocks in emergencies without Congressional approval.
USAI funds are separate and will be used to purchase new weapons from industry.
The Biden administration still retains about $6 billion in presidential revocation authority granted by Congress, including funding authorized in 2024 and the National Defense Agency after overestimating the value of weapons exported to Ukraine. It also includes funds discovered by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, the United States has pledged more than $62 billion worth of security assistance to Ukraine.
