United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that Washington authorized a new package of military assistance to Ukraine worth $1.85 billion, noting the aid will include the first deliveries of Patriot Air Defense Systems.
"This $1 billion drawdown [of US arms and equipment] will provide Ukraine with expanded air defense and precision-strike capabilities, as well as additional munitions and critical equipment that Ukraine is using so effectively to defend itself on the battlefield," Blinken stated. "The Department of Defense is also announcing an additional $850 million of security assistance for Ukraine today under its Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative," he added.
The decision will be formally announced by US President Joe Biden later in the day when he meets his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, who landed in the US for his first trip abroad since Russia attacked his country.
