US $2.3 Billion Arms to Ukraine: During a Tuesday meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart at the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin declared that the United States will soon provide fresh security help for Ukraine valued more than $2.3 billion.
Austin also mentioned Ukraine’s long-term ambitions of NATO membership, even in light of Russia’s two-year-old full-scale assault. He said, “We will take steps to build a bridge to NATO membership for Ukraine,” regarding the summit in Washington next week. He skipped specifics.
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According to Austin, the most recent arms deal for Ukraine would enable the quicker acquisition of NASAMS and Patriot air defence interceptors in addition to anti-tank and air defense interceptors.
According to Reuters, Austin remarked, “I am proud that the United States will soon announce more than $2.3 billion in new security assistance for Ukraine,” right before he and Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov had a meeting.
“This package, under presidential drawdown authority, will provide more air defense interceptors, anti-tank weapons and other critical munitions from the U.S. inventories.”
Since 2022, the US has given Ukraine military aid totaling more than $50 billion, but if Donald Trump wins the Nov. election, there are concerns about how the US will keep supporting Kyiv during a presidential contest.
Two key advisers have handed Trump a plan to end Russia’s crisis in Ukraine should he be elected. It means telling Ukraine that only if it starts peace talks with Moscow will it acquire more American weapons.
The proposal would mark a significant reversal in American policy toward the conflict and would face opposition from both Trump’s own Republican Party and friends in Europe.
NATO Membership
Umerov stated that Ukraine was eager to join NATO during the discussion with Austin. “Hopefully soon Ukraine will receive its invitation.”
Umerov thanked the new support in remarks he later shared on the Telegram messaging service.
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“so that Ukraine will receive more air defence systems as quickly as possible,” he stated. Work is now underway.
He also said that Olha Stefanishyn, the deputy prime minister, had emphasized at the NATO summit the importance of taking certain steps, such as getting money from the alliance, to improve Ukraine’s defense.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the president of Ukraine, said that this year’s summit should be the time to decide whether Kyiv will accept the alliance’s offer. During the alliance’s summit in Vilnius last summer, Zelenskiy tried but failed to get a political call to join.
Washington and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg have both said that they don’t think the alliance’s 32 members will invite Ukraine to join while the country is still at war with Russia. However, Stoltenberg has said that he wants to show Kyiv that the country is getting closer to joining.
