Joe Biden set to declare additional $800mn military aid to Ukraine amid Russian invasion

As the Russian war against Ukraine escalates, US President Joe Biden is set to announce an additional security funding worth $800 million for Ukraine, bringing the total to $1 billion in just a week, a senior White House official said on Tuesday. The announcement is expected to come at 11:45 am (local time) on Wednesday. The fundings come in addition to previously authorised $200 million atop $350 million military assistance by Washington on last Saturday and February 26, respectively.

According to CNN, the new package would include anti-tank missiles and modern defensive armaments that the US had been supplying. The consignment will also include Javelin anti-tank and stinger anti-aircraft missiles, officials familiar with the matter told CNN under conditions of anonymity. However, the assistance falls short of fighter jets that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has deemed necessary to uphold the sturdy resistance by Ukraine against Russia.

The announcement, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, comes just ahead of Zelenskyy's remote address to the US members of Congress on Wednesday. The potential aid also comes at a time when the White House is under immense pressure to bolster efforts towards supporting Ukraine against Russia's all-out invasion. "The US remains by far the largest single donor of security assistance to Ukraine," the White House official said, noting that in the past years Washington has provided over 600 Stinger missiles and nearly 2,600 Javelin anti-armour systems along with an assortment of ammunitions, including radar system, grenade launchers and more.

Notably, the $800 million assistance will be provided from the spending bill Biden signed into law on Tuesday. It includes $13.6 billion total in new aid to Kyiv.

Biden rules out 'no-fly zone' over Ukraine

The official further informed that Biden, however, has maintained the US' stance on the implementation of 'no-fly zone,' saying that it would trigger catastrophic conflict between two nuclear-armed states. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy's speech on Wednesday to the US Congress is predicted to be more specific in terms of demand for assistance to help Ukraine deter Russia's aggravated occupation of Ukraine. In the first address to the US Congress earlier on March 5, Zelenskyy had called for MiG-29 planes to be delivered to Ukrainian Air Force and armed drones, although officials have not confirmed if the new aid will cover those requests.

(Image: AP)