{"id":29386,"date":"2022-02-26T16:14:51","date_gmt":"2022-02-26T16:14:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2022\/02\/26\/biden-to-send-350m-in-military-aid-to-ukraine\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T22:24:57","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T22:24:57","slug":"biden-to-send-350m-in-military-aid-to-ukraine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/congress\/2022\/02\/26\/biden-to-send-350m-in-military-aid-to-ukraine\/","title":{"rendered":"Biden to send $350M in military aid to Ukraine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2015 U.S. President Joe Biden has authorized the State Department to send another $350 million in weapons, including Javelin anti-tank weapons, to help Ukrainian forces fight back the ongoing Russian invasion<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Ukraine struggling to repel Russia\u2019s tanks, bombers, helicopters and missiles, the new tranche would supply Ukrainian forces with anti-armor and anti-aircraft systems, ammunition for firearms and body armor, according to the State Department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This marks the third time Biden has used his presidential drawdown authority<\/a> to send emergency security assistance from U.S. stockpiles to Ukraine, and it brings the total commitment of U.S. security assistance to $1 billion for this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is another clear signal that the United States stands with the people of Ukraine as they defend their sovereign, courageous, and proud nation,\u201d Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Previous tranches of U.S. aid have arrived by aircraft, and although Ukrainian airspace is now contested, U.S. aid will continue to flow to Ukraine, a senior U.S. defense official said Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to look for additional venues to do that, especially now given that the president has authorized another $350 million worth of assistance,\u201d the official said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to do everything we can to get that into the hands of the Ukrainians.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The official acknowledged Javelins would be part of the aid but declined to confirm that Stinger anti-aircraft missiles would be included. Ukraine\u2019s defense minister this week asked for both<\/a>, in a direct appeal to the U.S. Congress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The White House has held talks with Congress about providing humanitarian and other military aid, as part of $4.6 billion in proposed new spending<\/a>. There\u2019s broad bipartisan support for the spending on Capitol Hill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI hope the anti-aircraft lethal aid in this package includes the Stingers requested by the Ukrainians. Ukraine is fighting like hell & this aid should have been there weeks ago,\u201d the House Armed Services Committee\u2019s top Republican, Rep. Mike Rogers, of Alabama, said on Twitter<\/a> Saturday in response to the new U.S. package.<\/p>\n\n\n\t