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U.S. President Joe Biden announced a military aid package for Ukraine worth $7.9 billion on Sept. 26.
"I am grateful to U.S. President Joseph Biden, the U.S. Congress and both parties, Republican and Democrat, and the entire American people for today's announcement of significant defense aid to Ukraine totaling $7.9 billion and the imposition of sanctions against Russia," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on social media.
Washington authorized a new military aid package for Ukraine worth $375 million the day before, on Sept. 25, amid Zelensky's ongoing visit to the U.S.
Biden said that the Pentagon will allocate the remaining Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) funds by the end of 2024.
He authorized $5.5 billion in the presidential drawdown authority (PDA) "to ensure this authority does not expire." Another $2.4 billion are pledged through the USAI.
The new tranche will include an additional Patriot air defense battery, unmanned aerial systems, and air-to-ground munitions, as well as funds to strengthen Ukraine’s defense industrial base and support its maintenance and sustainment requirements.
Washington will also provide Kyiv with the Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) munition "to enhance Ukraine’s long-range strike capabilities," Biden said.
The U.S. president also announced the expansion of training for Ukrainian F-16 pilots by supporting the training of an additional 18 next year.
"Through these actions, my message is clear: The United States will provide Ukraine with the support it needs to win this war," Biden said.
Visual-Emu-7532 on September 26th, 2024 at 15:44 UTC »
I don’t think people really understand how different this is than afghanistan and iraq.
This is a regional ally and one of the more stem educated/modernized countries in europe. They have collective identity and will be investing in themselves well beyond the war. Every dollar we spend there is opportunity for double that in jobs, contracts and companies here when we get first bid on rebuilding efforts.
They will have virtually no reliance on Russia (will likely be a dmz) and will turn to us and europe for trade as they rebuild and grow. Their own defense industry will arm the rest of nato in the region, all of whom are dedicating more and more of their gdp for defense. This is the best money the US has spent since WW2.
You can hate wars and the us gov and interventionism sure, but if we aren’t going to leave the middle east alone, this is easiest win you can make as a global power
RangerLee on September 26th, 2024 at 14:12 UTC »
YES!!! Now comes round 57 of explaining to numbnuts over here (US) how we are not sending suitcases filled with cash, rather sending Weapons, Ammo and Equipment worth that much (based on a price tag we put on each item) which leads to having to restock the old weapons/ammo/equipment that involves US jobs for making the new equipment to replace the stuff restocking the storage. So 8Billion in to the US economy (probably more actually but people smarter than me can go through that)
A7V- on September 26th, 2024 at 14:07 UTC »
Whatever was in that plan for Ukraine's victory seems to have convinced Washington.