The United States is providing Ukraine with an additional $350 million in military assistance to fight the Russian invasion. This was stated by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
“This package will include additional lethal defense assistance to help Ukraine deal with the armor, air and other threats it faces,” the Secretary of State said in a statement.
Earlier, the White House said President Joe Biden had authorized Blinken to provide up to $350 million in immediate support for Ukraine’s security and defense. The announcement comes after Biden’s 40-minute conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier in which they discussed “concrete defense assistance.”
Blinken recalls that last fall, when Russia began amassing troops on the border with its pro-Western neighbor, President Joe Biden gave Ukraine $60 million in immediate military aid, and then another $200 million was provided in December when President Vladimir threatened Putin sharper.
The United States is now authorizing a third package “as Ukraine bravely and proudly fights against Russia’s brutal and unprovoked attack,” he said.
This means that the total security assistance the United States provided to Ukraine last year will exceed $1 billion.
“This is another clear signal that the United States stands with the people of Ukraine in defending their sovereign, courageous and proud nation.”
The new aid comes amid a series of U.S. and other Western sanctions against Russian banks and oligarchs in an attempt to punish Putin and his inner circle for invading Ukraine and hurting the Russian economy.