The US is ready to ship extra help to Ukraine, most of it ammunition for tools similar to HIMARS rocket launchers, earlier than an anticipated Russian assault this spring.
At a press briefing in Washington on Thursday, John F. Kirby, the Nationwide Safety Council spokesman, declined to present particulars on the scale of the brand new help package deal and didn’t provide a timeline for when it might be delivered. Extra info is predicted to be launched on Friday, he stated.
Ukraine is operating low on ammunition after a yr of combating Russia. The world’s greatest producers of ammunition can not sustain with the tempo of combating, which is straining international arms manufacturing. Ukraine’s allies, together with NATO members, are transferring billions of {dollars} of kit to Ukraine however are hampered by a patchwork of guidelines and the need to replenish their very own stockpiles.
Final week, the Pentagon stated that it might spend $2 billion on tools for the Ukrainian army so the nation may maintain its long-term wants. The US will buy that equipment, which incorporates ammunition for artillery and long-range rocket methods, from producers as a substitute of drawing from its personal stockpile. That may delay the supply by months or years.
With final week’s providing, Washington has supplied $32 billion in army help to Ukraine since February 2022.
