U.S. announces $3 billion in aid on Ukrainian independence day

The U.S. will send Ukraine nearly $3 billion in additional military aid, the Biden administration announced Wednesday (which also happens to be Ukraine's independence day and the six-month anniversary of its war with Russia).
The new, $2.98 billion aid package will "fund contracts for as many as three types of drones, and other weapons, ammunition, and equipment that may not see the battlefront for a year or two," The Associated Press writes, per officials. It's the largest package from the U.S. to date.
"This will allow Ukraine to acquire air defense systems, artillery systems and munitions, counter-unmanned aerial systems, and radars to ensure it can continue to defend itself over the long term," President Biden said of the donation. "Today and every day, we stand with the Ukrainian people."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Unlike previous packages, the weapons will be commissioned from outside defense contractors — meaning it might take a while for them to arrive on the battlefield, Axios reports. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby, however, noted that supplies like ammunition should be available immediately.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also took to Twitter on Wednesday to thank Biden for the "unprecedented package," noting that, "Together we will win!"
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
Is the British Army ready to deploy to Ukraine?
Today's Big Question The UK 'would be expected to play a major role' if a peacekeeping force is sent to enforce ceasefire with Russia
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
What will Trump-Putin Ukraine peace deal look like?
Today's Big Question US president 'blindsides' European and UK leaders, indicating Ukraine must concede seized territory and forget about Nato membership
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Ukraine's disappearing army
Under the Radar Every day unwilling conscripts and disillusioned veterans are fleeing the front
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Cuba's mercenaries fighting against Ukraine
The Explainer Young men lured by high salaries and Russian citizenship to enlist for a year are now trapped on front lines of war indefinitely
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Ukraine-Russia: are both sides readying for nuclear war?
Today's Big Question Putin changes doctrine to lower threshold for atomic weapons after Ukraine strikes with Western missiles
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
The North Korean troops readying for deployment in Ukraine
The Explainer Third country wading into conflict would be 'the first step to a world war' Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned
By The Week UK Published
-
Experts call for a Nato bank to 'Trump-proof' military spending
Under The Radar A new lender could aid co-operation and save millions of pounds, say think tanks
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
What would happen if Russia declared war on Nato?
In depth Response to an attack on UK or other Western allies would be 'overwhelming'
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Last updated