WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has approved an additional $200 million in arms and equipment on Saturday, The New York Times and The Associated Press reported Saturday.
The White House action is a response to urgent requests from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for more aid to stave off the Russian invasion, which is now in its third week, the Times reported.
The funds, authorized by Biden through the State Department, would cover weapons as well as military services, education and training, the AP reported.
The latest arms package, which officials say includes Javelin antitank missiles and Stinger antiaircraft missiles, follows a $350 million arms package the Biden administration approved last month. https://t.co/ZNmiNw6eAT pic.twitter.com/eK68PY2gUS
— The New York Times (@nytimes) March 12, 2022
The latest arms package includes Javelin antitank missiles and Stinger antiaircraft missiles, the Times reported. The aid follows a $350 million arms package the Biden administration approved last month, according to the newspaper. Altogether, the administration has sent $1.2 billion in weapons to Ukraine in the past year, officials said.
Authorization for additional funding comes through the Department of Defense. The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 allows a president to authorize the “disposition of United States property or services,” a drawdown, to foreign nations without legislative authority or budgetary appropriations, according to CNN.
The weapons come from existing U.S. military stockpiles in Europe and will be flown to neighboring countries such as Poland and Romania, the Times reported. From there, they will be shipped overland into western Ukraine.
Western allies, including Biden, have rejected Zelenskyy’s pleas to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine and to provide the country with Polish MiG-29 fighter jets, the newspaper reported. Allies are worried about drawing the United States and NATO into a direct confrontation with Russia.
According to a White House official, Saturday’s announcement brings the total amount of security assistance provided to Ukraine to $1.2 billion over the past year, CNN reported.
Related content:
• Vladimir Putin: Who is Russia’s president?
• Volodymyr Zelenskyy: Who is Ukraine’s president?
• What does the Russian invasion of Ukraine mean for America’s economy?
• Russia attacks Ukraine: How to donate to people in Ukraine
• 6 things to know about Ukraine
• Why did Russia fight for control of Chernobyl, the site of a nuclear disaster?
• How to talk to children about the conflict in Ukraine
• Ukraine invasion: What sanctions are being imposed on Russia?
• World’s largest airplane reportedly destroyed in Ukraine
• Ukrainian government raises $20 million after plea for cryptocurrency
• Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively to match up to $1M in donations to Ukraine refugees
• Green Day cancels stadium concert in Moscow
• Russia, Ukraine crisis: Cruise lines change itineraries due to conflict
• What are war crimes, and could Russia be committing them in Ukraine?
• Visa, Mastercard suspend services in Russia amid invasion of Ukraine
• American Express suspends operations in Russia, Belarus
©2022 Cox Media Group
