WASHINGTON (Eagle News) — President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday the U.S. would send an additional $800 million worth of assistance to help Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion.
According to the White House, the assistance will take the form of direct transfers of equipment from the Department of Defense to the Ukrainian military.
The package includes anti-aircraft systems, anti-armor system, small arms including ammunition, unmanned aerial systems, and body armor.
This brings the total U.S. aid to Ukraine to $1 billion in the past week alone and $2 billion since Biden has taken office.
The U.S said it will help Ukrainians acquire additional, longer-range systems, such as the S-300 long-range missile defense and Switchblade drones.
The S-300 is a fully automated, ground-based radar-and-missile launcher unit that can detect, track and fire at multiple incoming aerial threats at long distances.
The 100 Switchblade drones that the U.S. will send also extends the range of attack on Russian forces. Dubbed by some as “Kamikaze drones”, the drone operator zeros in on a potential targets, drops the drone which then explodes on contact.
US says no to no-fly zone
Ukrainian President Volodymry Zelensky urged U.S. law makers to give more assistance to his country, which has been battered by Russian bombings. In addition to more weapons, he continued to plead for a no-fly zone over his country.
“The American people are answering President Zelenskyy’s call for more help, more weapons for Ukraine to defend itself, more tools to fight Russian aggression. And that’s what we’re doing,” said Biden.
As for Zelensky’s request for a no-fly zone over Ukraine, the U.S. is standing firm on its decision not implement it at this time.
“But how President Biden makes decisions is through the prism of our own national security.” said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki during a press briefing Wednesday afternoon. “And as we’ve said before, a no-fly zone would require implementation, it would require us potentially shooting down Russian planes, NATO shooting down Russian planes. And we are not interested in getting into World War Three. “
(Eagle News Service)