WASHINGTON, April 26. /TASS/. Washington is preparing to sign contracts with US defense firms worth $6 billion in total to deliver weapons and military equipment to Ukrane, the Politico newspaper reported citing two US officials.
According to the article, the United States "is putting the finishing touches" on one of its largest Ukraine military aid packages to date, which may be announced on Friday. According to the report, the package includes Patriot air defense systems, artillery shells, drones, counter-drone equipment and air-to-air missiles.
The package will dip into the $61 billion in Ukraine funding signed into law by US President Joe Biden on Wednesday.
However, the paper says that the above-mentioned weapons likely won’t arrive in Ukraine for several years, as the money is being allocated under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI). In line with the initiative, the Pentagon issues contracts to US defense companies to produce new weapons and military equipment for Ukraine, as opposed to drawing from its current stocks.
On Tuesday, the US Senate approved a package of bills to provide military aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, to confiscate Russia's frozen assets for their transfer them to Kiev, and to impose additional sanctions on China. On April 20, the bills were approved in the US House of Representatives. The total volume of the package amounted to $95 billion. It includes, in particular, $61 billion for Ukraine, $26 billion for Israel, as well as funds for humanitarian aid to civilians in conflict zones, including the Gaza Strip.