Kyiv's efforts to fight Russian aggression have received a boost in addition to the $61 billion worth of U.S. assistance passed by the House of Representatives, after the U.K. announced its own record military aid package.
Adding to the good news for Ukraine was the comment by Rep. Bill Keating (D-MA) that the first batch of U.S. military aid will be delivered to Ukraine "sooner than anyone thinks is possible," according to the Kyiv Independent.
Meanwhile, Politico reported that the Biden administration was preparing a larger-than-normal package of military aid that will include armored vehicles.
During a visit to Poland and Germany on Tuesday, the British prime minister, Rishi Sunak, will announce a £500 million ($618 million) boost for Ukraine and the largest-ever provision of vital munitions.
Sunak's office described the package as the "largest-ever single package of equipment from the UK," which is designed to help push back the Russian invasion on land, sea and air.
The package includes 60 boats such as offshore raiding craft, rigid raiding craft and dive boats and maritime guns. Also provided will be more than 1,600 strike and air defense missiles, as well as additional Storm Shadow long-range precision-guided missiles.
There will also be more than 400 vehicles, including 160 protected mobility 'Husky' vehicles, 162 armored vehicles and 78 all-terrain vehicles, as well as nearly 4 million rounds of small arms ammunition.
"Today's package will help ensure Ukraine has what they need to take the fight to Russia," Sunak said in a statement. "Defending Ukraine against Russia's brutal ambitions is vital for our security and for all of Europe. If Putin is allowed to succeed in this war of aggression, he will not stop at the Polish border."
Some analysts and Western leaders, including President Joe Biden, have sounded the alarm that in addition to his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Putin also has plans to attack NATO members—claims the Russian president has rejected as "nonsense."
U.S. officials told Politico that Defense Department officials are preparing a new tranche of military aid that the Biden administration wants ready soon after the president signs off on the House bill once the Senate passes it.
The package the DOD is working on will include armored vehicles such as Bradley Fighting Vehicles, older Humvees and M113 armored personnel carriers, as well as missiles, Politico reported.
Zev Faintuch, senior intelligence analyst at security firm Global Guardian, said that the package passed by the House on Saturday will give Kyiv an immediate lift.
"Ukraine is outmanned and outgunned. Hopefully, the morale boost, along with the new mobilization bill, will translate into Ukraine reconstituting its forces to eventually seize the initiative by halting Russian advances," he told Newsweek.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Brendan Cole is a Newsweek Senior News Reporter based in London, UK. His focus is Russia and Ukraine, in particular ... Read more
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