The additional military, ground and air capabilities come as Ukrainian forces press forward in an offensive to retake the southern city of Kherson, even as they face increased airstrikes from Russia, including Iranian-supplied drones. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had asked NATO to supply tanks within the first weeks of Russia’s invasion, which began on February 24. On Friday, he tweeted that Ukraine is “grateful [President Biden] and its people [the United States] for another $400 military aid package.’ The weapons package includes 90 refurbished T-72 tanks, all of which will come from the Czech Republic. The United States will pay for the renovation of 45 of them, while the Netherlands will pay for the renovation of the other 45, according to Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh. The T-72s mark the first supply of tanks from US funds since the war in Ukraine began, with some of the vehicles expected to be delivered by the end of December, Singh said. Despite Russia’s efforts, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters that Ukraine was making “incremental progress” in the south. “There is some incremental progress by the Ukrainians in the south and, frankly, to the northeast as well as they continue to try to push the Russian lines further back,” he said. Kirby added that Russian lines are “largely static and deepening” and echoed reported observations of Russian military movements in the area around Kherson and civilian evacuations. This could signal preparations for an upcoming battle. Part of the $400 million will go to manufacturers to refurbish the HAWK air defense missiles, and their delivery is expected to be announced at a future presidential withdrawal of military aid to Ukraine, Kirby said. “We will spend the money to bring these HAWK interceptors back up to code and then in the future presidential withdrawal we will deliver them directly to Ukraine. This is an example of evolution to meet needs,” he said. Also included in the package are 250 M1117 armored security vehicles and 1,100 new Phoenix Ghost drones, although Singh does not “have an exact timetable for when this next tranche” of drones will be delivered. Kirby added that the administration would continue to work with Congress to maintain military, economic and financial support for Ukraine amid a push from a vocal minority of Republicans critical of sending US dollars to Kyiv. The US has provided more than $18 billion in military aid to Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February. The US Agency for International Development has provided $9.88 billion in development and humanitarian assistance. But the American public’s support for aid to Ukraine is becoming increasingly partisan, according to a recent Wall Street Journal poll. The paper found that while 57 percent of Americans support continuing aid to Ukraine, only 35 percent of Republicans do, compared to 81 percent of Democrats. Among independents, 45% support providing aid to Ukraine. Some Republican lawmakers have warned they will scrutinize or oppose aid to Ukraine if they win a majority in Congress after the midterm elections. Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Green (R-Ga.) said Thursday at a rally hosted by former President Trump in Sioux City, Iowa, that “not another penny will go to Ukraine” if Republicans regain control of Congress. And House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has said a GOP-led House is unlikely to write a “blank check” on Ukraine.
Pfizer says updated COVID booster works better than original in people over 55 Civil rights groups slam Musk’s mass firings on Twitter, urge companies to stop ads Republicans who hold the national security and foreign policy portfolios on Capitol Hill told The Hill that GOP support remains strong for providing Ukraine with the military and financial aid it needs to prosecute the war against Russia. And a bipartisan pair of senators visited Kyiv this week to underscore the commitment from both Republicans and Democrats.
Helen Mitchell contributed to this report.