"Today, the United States delivered the 34th round of $350 million in arms assistance to Ukraine. This military assistance package includes more ammunition for HIMARS and howitzers provided by the United States that Ukraine is using to defend itself,...", Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
HIMARS high-mobility rocket artillery system. (Photo: AFP)
This military aid package is the 34th tranche of aid that the US has delivered to Ukraine since August 2021. According to the US Department of Defense , this package includes ammunition for the HIMARS rocket artillery system provided by the US to Kiev, 155mm artillery shells, high-speed anti-radiation missiles (HARM), patrol boats and other mortar and anti-tank systems.
Ukraine is in dire need of NATO-standard ammunition. Earlier this month, Ukrainian Defense Minister Aleksey Reznikov said Ukrainian forces needed 594,000 shells per month to fire the guns delivered by the West at full capacity. In addition to the US ammunition, Reznikov has also asked the EU for 250,000 shells per month.
At a meeting on March 20, 18 EU countries pledged to provide one million of these artillery shells to Ukraine within a year, a number much less than Kiev requested.
The US has spent more than $110 billion in military and economic aid to Kiev, including $32.5 billion on military aid since February last year.
Western countries have recently pledged to provide Ukraine with tanks, and the country has also continued to call for fighter jets to repel Moscow's forces.
On March 17, Slovakia became the second country to supply MIG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine. Earlier, Polish President Andrzej Duda announced on March 16 the delivery of four MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine in the coming days. Poland became the first NATO country to supply this type of aircraft to Kiev.
Russia has repeatedly accused the US and its allies of deliberately trying to prolong the conflict, warning the West not to provide weapons to Ukraine, stressing that this would only escalate the conflict and cause unnecessary casualties without changing the situation of the war.
Kong Anh (Source: RT)
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