US announces new military aid packages for Ukraine: up to $200M and $1.5B

The United States has announced a new military aid package for Ukraine worth up to $200 million, as reported by Voice of America, citing White House advisor John Kirby. 

Later, President Joe Biden's corresponding executive order appeared on his administration's website. Shortly after, the Pentagon announced an additional aid package worth $1.5 billion.

The new security assistance package of up to $200 million will be provided under the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) program.

The PDA mechanism allows aid to be provided from the presidential administration's fund and existing Department of Defense stockpiles. This enables the American leader to quickly transfer aid from state reserves to support allies.

Kirby stated that this aid package would include:

→ Air defense systems

→ Artillery ammunition for HIMARS systems

→ Mortar shells

→ Javelin anti-tank missiles

The announcement notes that the Pentagon is also providing Ukraine with long-term support through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) fund: this is done to strengthen air defense systems, long-range strike capabilities, and anti-tank capacities.

In the published document, Biden instructs Secretary of State Antony Blinken to allocate up to $200 million for defense goods and services from the Department of Defense, as well as for military education and training for Ukraine.

The US President also directed the head of diplomacy to determine whether it was important for US security interests to provide Ukraine with an additional $70 million.

UPDATED AT 20:20. The US Department of Defense announced two military aid packages for Ukraine: one worth up to $200 million, the second around $1.5 billion.

The $200 million package is provided under the PDA program. The Pentagon states it's designed to provide Ukraine with key capabilities: specifically, interceptor missiles for air defense, ammunition for rocket systems and artillery, and anti-tank weapons.

The US Department of Defense also announced a support package of about $1.5 billion under the USAI program. This is essentially an order for weapons production, and this package will take longer to arrive than the one under the PDA program.

Overall, the $1.5 billion package will include:

→ Missiles for NASAMS air defense systems

→ Short- and medium-range air defense munitions

→ RIM-7 air defense missiles

→ Electronic warfare equipment

→ Ammunition for HIMARS

→ 155 mm and 105 mm artillery rounds

→ 120 mm mortar rounds

→ Precision aerial munitions

→ Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles

→ Javelin and AT-4 anti-tank systems

→ Small arms

→ Explosives material and demolitions equipment and munitions

→ Secure communication systems

→ Commercial satellite imagery services

→ Spare parts, maintenance and support, and other auxiliary equipment

This is the twentieth package under USAI provided by the Biden administration, and the sixty-second tranche of equipment to be provided to Ukraine from Pentagon stocks since August 2021.

Read also: Another 100,000 artillery rounds to be delivered to Ukraine in July-August under Czech initiative