(Reuters) – The United States will provide Ukraine with an arms package worth US$725 million, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday (2), while President Joe Biden, before leaving power in January, seeks to reinforce the Kiev government in its war against the Russian invaders.
Assistance will include Stinger missiles, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), drones and landmines, among other items, Blinken said in a statement.
According to a Reuters report last week, the Biden administration planned to provide the equipment, much of it anti-tank weapons, to repel Russia’s attacking troops.
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“The U.S. and more than 50 nations are united to ensure Ukraine has the capabilities it needs to defend itself against Russian aggression,” Blinken’s statement said.
The announcement marks a sharp increase in the size of Biden’s recent use of the so-called Presidential Withdrawal Authority (PDA), which allows the US to use current weapons stockpiles to help allies in emergencies.
Recent PDA listings generally ranged from $125 million to $250 million. Biden has an estimated $4 billion to $5 billion in PDA already authorized by Congress that he must use for Ukraine before Republican President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20.
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The arms shipment represents the first time in decades that the United States has exported landmines, the use of which is controversial due to the potential harm to civilians.
Although more than 160 countries have signed a treaty banning the use of these mines, Kiev has been requesting them since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in early 2022. Russian forces have used mines on the front lines.
The landmines that would be sent to Ukraine are “non-persistent,” with a power system that only lasts a short period of time. This means that, unlike older landmines, they would not remain in the ground threatening civilians indefinitely.
