White House announces 300 bln USD in weapons aid to Ukraine

WASHINGTON, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The White House announced Tuesday that it will provide Ukraine with another package of security assistance worth 300 billion U.S. dollars, funding made possible by cost savings in the Pentagon's contracts with domestic weapons manufacturers.

"Today, on behalf of President (Joe) Biden, I'm announcing an emergency package of security assistance of 300 billion dollars worth of weapons and equipment to address some of Ukraine's pressing needs," National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said during a regular press briefing at the White House.

Sullivan told reporters that at a time when money at the administration's disposal to support Ukraine was drying up amid congressional blockade of new appropriations, the new funding became available thanks to the savings made in contracts the Defense Department signed with weapons manufacturers to replenish U.S. stockpiles.

"Those contracts came in under budget. So we have a modest amount of funding available," Sullivan said, adding that the administration now finds itself in a situation where it is able to give Ukraine additional capabilities such as artillery rounds and ammunition for HIMARS rocket launchers "without impacting U.S. military readiness."

Sullivan continued to urge lawmakers with the House of Representatives to approve Biden's supplemental budget request that included some 60 billion dollars for Ukraine, warning that the assistance the White House just announced would "keep Ukrainian guns firing for a period, but only a short period." Ukraine is still expected to run out of ammunition "in the weeks to come," he added.

"It goes without saying this package does not displace and should not delay the critical need to pass the bipartisan national security bill," Sullivan said. "The world is watching, the clock is ticking, and we need to see action as rapidly as possible even as we do everything in our power to get Ukraine what it needs in its hour of need."