US to send $100 million in additional military aid to Ukraine
The United States has said it will send up to $100 million in additional military aid to Ukraine as Russia’s military operation continues there.
The US State Department and the Pentagon, in separate statements on Tuesday evening, announced the aid which will go towards Javelin anti-armor systems.
"I have authorized, pursuant to a delegation from the President earlier today, the immediate drawdown of security assistance valued at up to $100 million to meet Ukraine's urgent need for additional anti-armor systems," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
Drawdowns allow the president to assist countries during emergencies without obtaining approval from a legislative authority or budgetary appropriations, according to a Defense Department handbook.
The latest drawdown marks the sixth such allocation the US has made for Ukraine since August 21, according to Blinken.
Meanwhile, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday that the extra funding would be used "to meet an urgent Ukrainian need for additional Javelin anti-armor systems."
According to reports, the Pentagon plans to send a variety of equipment to Ukraine including 10 Switchblade drones, which are armed with tank-busting warheads.
The US has provided Ukraine with over $1.7 billion since Russia’s operation began in late February and according to Kirby, the latest tranche brought the US military aid to the country to more than $2.4 billion since the beginning of US President Joe Biden's term in office.
On April 1, the Pentagon announced an extra $300 million in military aid.
Also on Tuesday, the Biden administration said it will impose additional sanctions against Moscow.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that the sanctions were being coordinated with the Group of Seven and the European Union.
The sanctions will also target Russian-owned financial institutions and state-owned enterprises.
Psaki said that the sanctions are in response to Russia’s recent atrocities in Bucha, a town near the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, and other acts of violence in Ukraine.
“We are continuing to assess and make decisions about additional consequences and steps we can put in place,” Psaki said during the White House briefing.
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