President Biden announced Wednesday after a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that the US is sending Ukraine a new $1 billion weapons package, the largest single arms shipment Washington will be providing Kyiv since Russia invaded on February 24. Biden also announced the US is giving Ukraine an additional $225 million in humanitarian assistance.
For the first time, the US will be sending Ukraine Harpoon anti-ship missile launchers, marking another escalation in US military aid. The Harpoon systems have a range of over 100 miles, making Russian ships in the Black Sea potential targets, and widening the area where Ukraine can use Western arms. In May, the US facilitated a Harpoon shipment from Denmark to Ukraine.
The $1 billion weapons package also includes 155mm Howitzers, 155mm ammunition, and additional ammunition for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) that the US first sent Kyiv in the last arms package that was approved on June 1.
According to the Pentagon, the full list of arms in the new package includes:
- 18 155mm Howitzers
- 36,000 rounds of 155mm ammunition
- 18 Tactical Vehicles to tow 155mm Howitzers
- Additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems
- Four Tactical Vehicles to recover equipment
- Spare parts and other equipment
- Two Harpoon coastal defense systems
- Thousands of secure radios
- Thousands of Night Vision devices, thermal sights, and other optics
- Funding for training, maintenance, sustainment, transportation, and administrative costs
The $1 billion came from the $40 billion Ukraine aid bill President Biden signed into law in May. The Pentagon said the $1 billion consisted of $350 million from the president’s drawdown authority and $650 million in Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) funds.
The presidential drawdown authority allows Biden to ship Ukraine weapons from the US military’s stockpiles. The USAI gives Biden the power to purchase weapons for Ukraine from US arms makers. The $40 billion bill authorized $11 billion in presidential drawdown authority and $6 billion for the USAI.
Also on Wednesday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin led a meeting of military leaders from nearly 50 nations at the Ramstein air base in Germany. Despite the risks of provoking Russia, Western powers continue to pledge more military aid for Kyiv. US and NATO officials have made clear that they expect the war to drag out and that they are prepared to support Ukraine for many years to come.
Escalation. They clearly believe they can have a risk free proxy war. Remember, the propaganda says they are fighting ‘Putin’ & not the Russian federation.
I knew they already did it when the news first came out about the Biden administration “considering sending Harpoons.” “In May, the US facilitated a Harpoon shipment from Denmark to Ukraine.” We are in June, yet this article is about: “For the first time, the US is sending Ukraine Harpoon anti-ship missile launchers.” Don’t expect any MSM or even several “Antiwar” writers to point out the direct connection between the constant lying/deception and WWIII.
Like WW1. If you do not know what else to do continue the slaughter, hope for the best but end up with the worst.
Yes. WW1. I say the same villains are at work here. For almost the same reasons.
Our black market in American weapons is up and rolling and a finely tuned death and destruction machine……well, the kit that doesn’t get blown sky high as soon as it lands! Ivan is all “gunsgunsgunsguns” dont’cha know! Send more toys! (President Zelensky)
That part of the world is a black market/smuggling environment. Maybe a lot of the big hardware will make it far enough to get blown up, but anything small enough to carry and worth thousands of dollars, like night vision goggles, radios, and thermal sights, you probably might as well just throw off the truck. A lot of Ukrainians who would rather make money off all the US hardware than be killed using it.
Good reports that the Azov forces are machine gunning regular Ukrainian troop trying to surrender. Not much loyalty to the cause from those guys.
There never was, There are three Ukraines. One is Russian -/ Russian ethnicity and language. Norh ESt, East and South, Another central Ukraine – greater Kiev are Russian speaking Ukrainians, with an Ukrainian being a dislect of Russian, than West Ukraine that is Polish dialect called today Ukrainian and imposed as official language, The Kiev Ukrsinians used to be the most naive, many falling for Orange revolution than Maidan.
This group woke up to the lie — reizing that the West Ukraine Nazi leadership and rank and fiile treat them as badly as Russians. Treating them as inferior that needing reeducation, and stiffening their spine fighting Russians.
This zealotism in the part of Catholic dominated West Ukraine, pampered by the West — made serious mistake by abusiing the Russian speaking people that identified themselves as Ukrainian. Just to learn that they are merely cannon fodder.
Thanks. I only know the general outlines of the border history from when they took Crimea on.
$1 Billion Weapons Package for Ukraine.
How much for border wall?
Too expensive!
What I find curious is that, it seems to me, it would be cheaper to buy the country…
Yeah, but think of the upkeep…
Maybe Soros, Gates et al should by it and play their games there?
Leave the rest of us alone?
…. yeah whats an extra Billion or two or… to keep a war going that is futile and making some war profiteers insanely rich….
The only idiot with a lower IQ than senile Joe Brandon Biden is the affirmative action quota Lloyd J Austin the Turd.
These two retards will start World War 3.
Even Austin’s head is shaped like an artillery shell. The Cosmic Joker must have a hand in the coming catastrophe Wash. is planning and provoking.
US is an expert in wasting its taxpayer money….Number One in the World…!
What I am actually stunned by is how little we get for $1 Billion dollars. Essentially 1 Battalion of artillery, and 1 missile battery; with maybe 30 days of ammunition supply. Except not even that; since there is a lot of ancillary equipment that goes into making tube and missile artillery effective (fire control equipment, targeting radars, ammunition supply vehicles, etc), none of which is mentioned here. If that’s what a billion dollars buys, what’s the full price tag on Zelensky’s demands for “1000 howitzers, 500 main battle tanks, 2000 armored infantry fighting vehicles” that were published yesterday? 100 Billion dollars?? More?? time to pull the plug.
US/NATO has sent so many gamechangers to the ukraine that i have forgotten what the game was.
Fate, providence, karma, God or the gods, or, whatever you want to call it is taking the human race towards WWIII and utter destruction of the current status quo around the world. And, people in America are doing nothing to stop Wash.’s war mongering around the world either. The state, media and war industry are all linked together in the stock market, so don’t look for any protest from those factions. People are just into their I phones and Androids as their lives are being threatened by the corrupt gov. in Wash. Both parties benefit from endless war, so don’t look to either party to try and change anything.
“US and NATO officials have made clear that they expect the war to drag out and that they are prepared to support Ukraine for many years to come.”
Correct me if I’m wrong but this won’t end well to say the least
Biden Announces $1 Billion Money Package for MIC
And half of that will end up on the black market like the rest have.
what about money for am,ericans?
Americans have to sacrifice, especially their retirement savings just to keep up with inflation and survive. How much now does it cost just to go to and from your workplace? Rents will increase along with inflation also, and that will put more low income people out on the streets. It’s Americans’ fault because they are too apathetic and in denial of the status quo and what will happen in the future.
but hey! sheeple! worry about the govt distraction/gossip points. and keep on voting! the scam never ends and the fools believe it will change circumstances. lol
1 billion, 2 billion, 54 billion.. Completely lost count on how much money we are sinking into this unnecessary proxy war. Our politicians are all corrupt puppets of the military industrial complex.
Deagle.com 2025 projections indicate all of Europe loses heavy populations. The UK is projected to lose 80% of its population. The US loses 75% of its population, while Russia is down only 3.4% in it’s population. So, based on these numbers who wins the war, if there was one?
EXCELLENT ARTICLE: “Many components of the May package and
other aid installments deserve more scrutiny from lawmakers than they
have received. Not-insignificant chunks of money are going toward
countering “Russian disinformation and propaganda narratives,”
bolstering the Department of Justice’s “efforts to pursue high value
asset seizures from sanctioned individuals,” paying the salaries of Ukrainian government officials, and prepping
munitions for military skirmishes that aren’t related to the conflict
in Ukraine. In rushing the passage of aid, Congress has neglected to
debate whether these are appropriate spending priorities for the U.S.
https://reason.com/2022/06/16/the-u-s-is-spending-130-million-a-day-on-military-aid-for-ukraine-without-meaningful-congressional-oversight/