President Biden said Thursday the U.S. is planning to announce a new $800 million weapons package for Ukraine, to include sending an advanced air defense system.
During his press conference at the NATO Summit in Madrid, Biden said the latest deal to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion should be official “shortly.”
“In the next few days, we intend to announce more than $800 million more, including a new advanced Western air defense system for Ukraine, more artillery and ammunition, counter-battery radars, additional ammunition for the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system we’ve already given Ukraine and more HIMARS coming from other countries as well,” Biden told reporters.
Biden’s announcement follows White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan’s confirmation to reporters on Monday that the U.S. is planning to include an advanced air defense system as part of the next security assistance package to Ukraine (Defense Daily, June 27).
While Sullivan declined to specify the air defense system that will be provided, his comments followed a CNN report that the U.S. is preparing to provide Ukraine with the Kongsberg and Raytheon Technologies [RTX]-built NASAMS surface-to-air missile defense system.
Last week, the U.S. approved another $450 million weapons package for Ukraine, which includes the second delivery of four High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) to fire precision-guided munitions (Defense Daily, June 23).
“We are going to support Ukraine as long as it takes,” Biden said Thursday.