US to provide additional $250 million military aid to Ukraine to impede Putin aggression

As the ravaging war between Russia and Ukraine continues, the United States has assured Kyiv of providing additional military support worth $250 million. While speaking to the reporters on Thursday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that the Biden-Harris administration has decided to continue providing military support to the war-torn country. According to her, the US has given a major amount of funding to Ukraine and added other countries are now also coming forward to assist Ukraine.

"We are and we will keep on funding assistance to Ukraine for weaponry. We have another $250 million which we need to provide as military assistance. We are currently the largest to provide military assistance but now other countries are also coming forward to assist Ukraine," she said. 

Earlier on Thursday, the Biden administration called on Congress to provide additional resources in order to ensure Ukraine’s democracy prevails over Putin’s aggression. According to the statement released by the White House, the administration has spent almost $3.5 billion in providing funding to Ukraine. It noted the amount was sanctioned in March by the US congress. While explaining the military support provided to Kyiv, it said that the US has supplied weapons and ammunition – including anti-tank and anti-air systems, helicopters, drones, grenade launchers, and more than 50 million rounds of ammunition.

"It also includes $650 million in military assistance to Ukraine, eastern flank countries, and other partners in the region, as well as hundreds of millions of dollars in food, shelter, and other humanitarian aid to help Ukrainians who have been displaced by Russia’s war," according to the statement. 

US sends 100 Switchblade drones to Kyiv

In a bid to support Ukraine amid the ongoing war with Russia, the Biden administration has recently sent at least 100 switchblade drones to the Ukrainian military. Pentagon press secretary John Kirby informed that the US defence officials have trained some of the Ukrainian soldiers, who have been in Washington since the fall in professional military education programs, on weapons systems that are new to them. He said that the trained Ukrainian soldiers will assist others after returning to the battlefield in Ukraine.

Image: AP/Pixabay