The U.S. has agreed to a new $60 million security assistance package with Ukraine, which includes delivery of Javelin anti-armor missiles and other defensive and non-lethal systems.
The latest Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative deal was detailed by senior administration officials ahead of President Biden’s meeting with Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Wednesday.
The new deal brings the total value of military support deals with Ukraine to over $400 million in 2021 alone, with the U.S. having now committed more than $2.5 billion in security assistance with the country since 2014.
A Pentagon readout of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s meeting with Zelenskyy and Ukrainian Minister of Defence Andrii Taran on Tuesday noted their discussion concluded with the signing of a new U.S.-Ukraine Strategic Defense Framework.
“The department said the new framework “enhances our strategic defense partnership and advances shared priorities, as well as a research, development, test, and evaluation projects agreement that will provide a framework for pursuing bilateral armaments and military-technical cooperation through cooperative projects.”
In June, the Pentagon announced a new $150 million military aid package with Ukraine, which will include delivery of counter-artillery radars, counter-drone systems, secure communications equipment and electronic warfare capabilities (Defense Daily, June 11).
That deal followed a $125 million military aid package with Ukraine announced in March that also included counter-artillery radars as well as two additional SAFE Boats International-built Mark VI patrol boats, boosting the U.S. total delivery commitment up to eight vessels (Defense Daily, March 1).