Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said the United States is sending up to $275 million in new military aid to Ukraine. The package includes ammunition for highly mobile artillery rocket systems, mortar and artillery rounds, and unmanned aerial systems to meet critical needs on the battlefield as the Russian offensive exceeds 1,000 days of war.
Ahead of the White House* announcement on the latest round of aid, Austin stressed the importance of continuing to support Ukraine.
"What we learned early on is that Ukraine matters, and not just to Ukraine and not just to Europe," Austin said. The whole world depends on her.
"We shouldn't have any situation where someone can wake up one day and invade their neighbor, change their borders and annex their property," He said. "That's just not a world any of us want to live in."
The Secretary added that the U.S.-led effort to rally global allies and partners in support of Ukraine continues to be effective in countering the Russian onslaught.
"The largest army in Europe invaded its neighbor, which had far fewer supplies, far less capability, and after a thousand days was still not successful," He said. "This war has been going on for 1,000 days and (Russian President Vladimir) In any case, Putin has not achieved any strategic goal."
The latest round of assistance marks the 70th withdrawal of military equipment for Ukraine from the Ministry of Defence stockpile since August 2021.
It follows President Joe Biden's September commitment to increase the remaining funding of more than $5 billion in presidential spending authority authorized by Congress.
Aid is also coming with new urgency as Russia relies on thousands of North Korean soldiers to replenish its ranks.
Deputy Press Secretary at the Pentagon Sabrina Singh reported earlier this week that nearly 11,000 North Korean troops had moved into Russia's Kursk region.
She said the Pentagon has not confirmed reports that the North Koreans have begun engaging in combat operations, but said "are moving to Kursk for a reason".
"We expect them to engage in combat operations," Singh said.
Austin announced the new round of aid from Vientiane, Laos, where he is attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-Plus Defence Ministers meeting.
U.S. defense ministers have been attending the forum since 2010, when it was established by a 10-member bloc of Southeast Asian countries.
During the two-day series of meetings, Austin will meet informally with a number of regional allies and partners and reaffirm the United States' commitment to regional security.
Following the first round of talks, Austin announced today that ASEAN member states have endorsed a second iteration of the US-led naval exercise with ASEAN countries that was first held in 2019.
Tomorrow, Austin is expected to announce the Defense Department's first-ever vision statement for a prosperous and secure Southeast Asia.
"It's great to be returning to ADMM-Plus for the fourth time as Secretary," He said. "Being here is a priority and shows strong support for ASEAN's central role in regional security. Engagement in ASEAN is focused on practical cooperation and mutual respect, which includes educating the next generation of leaders and addressing emerging challenges and deepening maritime cooperation."
Austin suggested a meeting with Dong Jun, Minister of National Defense of the People's Republic of China, who is also a member of ADMM-Plus.
The secretary continued to advocate for open lines of military-to-military communication between the U.S. and China, but said today that his Chinese counterpart has decided not to meet during this week's forum.
"The PRC's decision is a complication for the entire region," He said. "As I have consistently said, the right time to meet is any time."
* Biden administration announces additional security assistance to Ukraine
As part of the increase in security assistance that President Biden announced on September 26 to ensure Ukraine is as strong as possible, the Department of Defense (DoD) reported by additional security assistance to meet Ukraine's critical security and defence needs. This announcement is the seventieth tranche of equipment the Biden Administration has provided to Ukraine from Department of Defense stockpiles since August 2021. This package, under the President's Disbursement Authority (PDA) with an estimated value of $275 million, will provide Ukraine with additional capabilities to meet its most pressing needs, including: ammunition for missile systems and artillery and anti-tank weapons.
The capabilities listed in this announcement include:
- ammunition for Highly Mobile Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);
- 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition;
- 60mm and 81mm mortar rounds;
- unmanned aerial systems;
- tube-launched, optically tracked and wire-guided (TOW) missiles;
- Javelin and AT-4 anti-tank systems;
- small arms and ammunition;
- demolition equipment and ammunition;
- chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear protective equipment;
- spare parts, auxiliary equipment, services, training and transport.
The United States will continue to work with approximately 50 allies and partners through the Ukraine Defense Contact Group and associated coalitions of capabilities to meet Ukraine's urgently needed battlefield requirements and defend against Russian aggression.
pentagon/ gnews - RoZ
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