U.S. announces $400M aid package
Ammunition and armoured vehicles that launch bridges to arrive ahead of looming spring fighting
The U.S. announced a new $400-million (U.S.) military aid package for Ukraine on Friday that for the first time includes armoured vehicles that can launch bridges — allowing troops to cross rivers or other gaps as Russian and Ukrainian forces remain entrenched on opposite sides of the Dnieper River.
The war had largely slowed to a grinding stalemate during the winter months, with Russia and Ukraine firing at each other from across the river. Both sides are expected to launch offensives as temperatures warm.
This round of aid will be drawn from existing U.S. weapons stockpiles so it can arrive in Ukraine faster. The U.S. and allies are trying to rush additional support to Kyiv to best position it for intensified spring fighting.
The armoured Vehicle Launched Bridge is a portable, 18-meter folding metal bridge that is carried on top of a tank body. Providing that system now could make it easier for Ukrainian troops to cross rivers to get to Russian forces.
Because Ukraine also continues to face shortages of ammunition in the intense firefight, this aid package, like previous ones, includes thousands of replacement rounds, such as rockets for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems and155 mm Howitzer rounds. This package also includes demolition munitions and equipment for clearing obstacles to help Ukraine break through dug-in lines.
The U.S. is also roughly tripling the number of Ukrainian forces it is training on advanced battle tactics at a base in Germany, to help them punch through entrenched Russian lines.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Western allies would support Ukraine for “as long as it takes” as he visited the White House on Friday for a private meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden.
Both leaders said they would continue working “in lockstep,” and Biden thanked Scholz for helping to “maintain the pressure” on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
China wasn’t mentioned during their brief public remarks in the Oval Office, although the meeting comes as both countries have become increasingly vocal about concerns that Beijing may step off the sidelines and supply weapons to Russia. Such a step could dramatically change the war’s trajectory by allowing Moscow to replenish its depleted stockpiles.
China is Germany’s top trading partner, and European countries have generally been more cautious than the United States in taking a hard line with Beijing. However, there are signs that may be shifting as global rivalries grow more tense.
In a speech to the German parliament on Thursday, Scholz called on China to “use your influence in Moscow to press for the withdrawal of Russian troops, and do not supply weapons to the aggressor Russia.”
Maintaining a steady flow of weapons to Kyiv will be critical in the war’s second year, especially with both sides planning spring offensives.
“We’re proud of the collective efforts that we’ve taken together,” said John Kirby, a White House national security spokesperson, on Thursday.