The United States President, Joe Biden, Wednesday announced $2.98 billion in military aid to Kyiv. This will be the US biggest aid package so far Ukraine. The aid came as support to mark Ukraine’s independence day, and in support of the European country in their defense against invasion by Putin`s Russia. The was is now in its sixth month.
BASIC FACTS
- The USA is sending a a new $2.98 billion in military aid to Ukraine to booster it defense against invasion by Russia.
- Ukraine has been locked in a six month war against the invasion and has succeeded in keeping Russia at bare after heavy looses on each side.
- The USA, NATO and EU are Ukraine’s major backers.
WHAT WE KNOW
In a statement, on Wednesday in Washington, President Joe Biden made good the USA solidarity and commitment to Ukraine’s war against Russian invasion, and announced a new military aid in support of the Ukrainian military worth $2.98 billion.
While announcing the new $2.98 billion for arms and other equipment is aimed “to ensure it can continue to defend itself over the long term.”
The funds Biden said will be for air defense systems, artillery and the much-in-demand ammunition for those systems, as well as radars and systems to counter Russian drones.
In a congratulatory message to Ukraine on her independence, which was declared from the Soviet Union in 1991, Biden said the US “is committed to supporting the people of Ukraine as they continue the fight to defend their sovereignty.”
President Biden further hailed Ukraine’s resistance against the Russian invasion, a campaign President Vladimir Putin launched in February, few years after annexing Crimea from Ukraine. Putin was angered by her neighbour’s desire to join NATO, a move the Russian leader considers a threat to Russia.
The invasion Putin miscalculated to last a few days or weeks have spanned into months, claiming thousands of soldiers on both sides and thousands of civilians have died in the largest-scale battles seen in Europe since World War II.
Ukraine has managed to force Russian troops back to the periphery of the country’s East and South, a situation that is pointing to more months of battle against Putin predictions of an early victory.
Though there have been high expectations of a Ukrainian counter-offensive to retake large areas of occupied territory in the south, the battle lines remains at a standstill, pointing to a prolonged test of strength for both sides, and also for Ukraine’s Western backers.
The funds released by Biden Wednesday can be used for immediate war costs, including acquisitions of supplies and arms, and are separate from the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), under which Biden has been able to order transfers of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine’s forces from existing US military stockpiles.
NOTABLE QUOTES
While speaking on Wednesday, President Joe Biden noted that, “Today is not only a celebration of the past, but a resounding affirmation that Ukraine proudly remains — and will remain — a sovereign and independent nation.”
“Six months of relentless attacks have only strengthened Ukrainians’ pride in themselves, in their country, and in their thirty-one years of independence,”
“Today and every day, we stand with the Ukrainian people.”
CATCH-UP
Earlier this year, precisely February 24, Vladimir Putin attacked Ukraine. Though the invasion did not come as a surprise to many, it nonetheless came after weeks of Putin denying he was planning an invasion.
Few years earlier, Putin had annexed the Crimea region of Ukraine in a bid to undermine her neighbour’s sovereignty.
Though Ukraine broke free from the Soviet union 31 years ago, Russia has really not accept her as an independent state, rather Moscow continues to view her as an extension that can be annexed anytime.
The frost relationship between both neighbours got out of hand with Ukraine’s intention to join NATO. A move Putin thinks should never happen, hence his February miscalculated invasion of Ukraine.
TAKEAWAY
The Ukrainian war continues to prove that a people’s resolve can stand stronger than the most technologically advanced weapons. The Ukrainians led by Zelensky deserves our admiration and a lesson on how a feeling of oneness and nationhood can withstand harassment from unfriendly regimes as Putin.
The invasion also points the international community to the fact that the world still harbours some rogue leaders who are not ready to abide by established international norms and respect for sovereignty of nations and right to self determination.
