US To Provide New $400 Mn Aid Package For Ukraine: Pentagon

The US announced a new USD 400 million aid package for Ukraine on Wednesday, which includes generators to assist the country in dealing with power outages caused by Russian attacks on energy infrastructure.

The more than 200 generators are “intended to support both civilian and military power needs... to relieve grid pressure,” Pentagon Press Secretary Brigadier General Pat Ryder said aboard a US military plane.

“It is a contribution to assist them as they continue to face significant energy challenges” as a result of Russian strikes, Ryder said.

Russia has recently launched missile attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, repeatedly knocking out power to millions of people.

According to the Pentagon, the package also includes ammunition for advanced NASAMS air defence systems, precision Himars rocket launchers, heavy machine guns with thermal imagery sights to counter Russian drones, and more than 20 million rounds of small arms ammunition.

According to the State Department, the latest package brings the total US assistance to Ukraine since President Joe Biden took office in January 2021 to around USD 19.7 billion.

“We will continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes so that it can continue to defend itself and be in the strongest possible position at the negotiating table when the time comes,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.