The United States announced a new security package plan, including authorisation of a Presidential Drawdown of security assistance valued at up to $425 million, as well as $1.75 billion in Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) funds, according to the statement released by US Defence Department.

The package pulled $425 million from existing Defence Department stocks, and $1.75 billion in Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative funds. The new package marks $29.3 billion provided to Ukraine since Russia's started its military operation last February.

In Friday's announcement, the US also includes the critical air defense capabilities to help Ukraine defend its people, as well as armored infantry vehicles and more equipment that Ukraine is using so effectively, including Javelin anti-tank missiles, artillery ammunition, and conventional and long-range rockets for US-provided HIMARS.

According to the statement, the specific capabilities include additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS); additional 155mm artillery rounds; additional 120mm mortar rounds; 190 heavy machine guns with thermal imagery sights and associated ammunition to counter Unmanned Aerial Systems; 181 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Vehicles; 250 Javelin anti-armor systems; 2,000 anti-armor rockets; claymore anti-personnel munitions; Demolitions munitions; cold weather gear, helmets, and other field equipment.

"In total, the United States has now committed $30 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden Administration. Since 2014, the United States has committed more than $32 billion in security assistance to Ukraine and more than $29.3 billion since the beginning of Russia's unprovoked, full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022," as per the statement.

The United States will continue to work with its allies and partners to provide Ukraine with capabilities to meet its immediate battlefield needs and longer-term security assistance requirements, it added.

In the early week of January, the United States announced military assistance worth over $3.75 billion for Ukraine, European allies, and partners, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced in a statement.

Blinken is quoted as saying in the statement, "This assistance includes a USD 2.85 billion drawdown from stocks of the Department of Defense to be provided immediately to Ukraine and $225 million in Foreign Military Financing to build the long-term capacity and support modernization of Ukraine's military."

He further added, "It also includes $682 million in Foreign Military Financing for European partners and allies to help incentivize and backfill donations of military equipment to Ukraine."

Notably, the US has been providing military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine ever since Moscow began its offensive on February 24, 2022.

Image courtesy: Reuters/Viacheslav Ratynskyi