Blinken announces $600M in military assistance for Ukraine

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday announced an additional $600 million in military assistance for Ukraine.

“Together with our Allies and partners, we are delivering the arms and equipment that Ukraine’s forces are utilizing so effectively as they continue their successful counter-offensive against Russia’s invasion,” he wrote in a State Department release.

Blinken authorized the 21st shipment of military munitions from the U.S. to Ukraine since September 2021, which will include arms and other equipment from the Defense Department.

Earlier this week, Ukraine launched a major counteroffensive on the Russian military, attacking from the north after staging a campaign that led Russia to believe that the smaller country would attack from the south.

Blinken said in his statement that “President Biden has been clear we will support the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes,” adding that the total amount of military assistance from the U.S. since President Biden’s inauguration will now stand at $15.8 billion.

“With admirable grit and determination, the people of Ukraine are defending their homeland and fighting for their future,” wrote the secretary.

“The capabilities we are delivering are carefully calibrated to make the most difference on the battlefield and strengthen Ukraine’s hand at the negotiating table when the time is right.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Sunday for more military assistance from Western allies, claiming that the winter would bring a “turning point” in Ukraine’s pushback on the Russian attack, which began in February.

“If we were a little stronger with weapons, we would de-occupy faster,” said the president, who has regularly called for stronger support from allies, including members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.