$300 million. This is the amount of the new tranche of military aid released by the United States to Ukraine, the Pentagon announced in a press release. The US Department of Defense has clarified that it will immediately provide, from its stocks, additional missiles for the Patriot air defense systems already in Kiev’s possession, as well as for the Himars artillery systems.
Ukraine will also receive, in the short term, Avenger and Stinger short-range anti-aircraft systems, shells for its artillery and tanks, as well as millions of balls of various ammunition for its soldiers.
The United States, however, warned that American weapons should not be used to strike Russia.
“We’ve been very clear with Ukrainians privately – and we’ve been publicly: we don’t condone the attacks in Russia,” the House National Security Council spokesman told reporters. Blanche, John Kirby. “We do not allow attacks in Russia and we do not encourage them,” he added.
This new arms delivery, which brings US aid to Kiev to $37.6 billion since the start of the invasion in February 2022, comes at a time when Russia is increasing the bombardment of major Ukrainian cities. kyiv, for its part, has announced that it is preparing a counter-offensive.
“We don’t tell them where to knock. We don’t tell them where not to hit,” repeated John Kirby. “Ultimately, it’s up to President (Volodymyr) Zelensky and his military command to decide. [But] we certainly don’t want the attacks spreading in Russia […] to be carried out with American weaponry,” he added.
The spokesman assured that the White House remained convinced that Ukraine would honor its promise not to use the American-made F-16 fighter jets, which several allies have promised to deliver to Kiev, to strike targets in outside Ukrainian territory.