The Biden administration announced nearly $500 million in additional aid for Ukraine, including $10 million for its energy infrastructure, after a surprise visit to Kyiv by President Joe Biden.
“Today, the United States announced $460 million in new support for Ukraine: $450 million worth of arms and equipment from DoD inventories under Presidential Drawdown Authority, as well as $10 million to support ongoing U.S. efforts to provide emergency assistance to help maintain Ukraine’s energy infrastructure,” a U.S. Department of State spokesperson said in a statement.
It is not clear how the U.S. is supporting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, but a list of items provided in the $460 million package included: “$10 million Support for the transportation of equipment in support of maintaining Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.”
The new aid for Ukraine comes amid the backdrop of a town in Ohio struggling to get back on its feet after a catastrophic 50-car train derailment and subsequent toxic chemical release that caused nearby residents to flee their homes for shelters.
The Biden administration initially said the disaster did not qualify for aid from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), only to later reverse itself later.
The $113 billion in U.S. aid to Ukraine has eclipsed the annual military budget of every country in the world except the United States and China. https://t.co/gqwjMZMXRF
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) December 26, 2022
Russia has targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during the war, including power plants and electrical substations.
In total, the Biden administration has committed more than $30.4 billion in aid to Ukraine since January 2021, and $29.8 billion since Russia invaded Ukraine one year ago on February 24, 2022.
The Biden administration has pledged to support Ukraine “for as long as it takes.”
The exact items in the latest package will include, according to the spokesperson:
- Additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);
- Additional 155mm artillery rounds;
- Additional 120mm mortar rounds;
- Four air surveillance radars;
- 500 Javelin anti-armor systems;
- Approximately 2,000 anti-armor rockets;
- Four Bradley Fire Support Team vehicles;
- Two tactical vehicles to recover equipment;
- Claymore anti-personnel munitions (configured to be compliant with the Ottawa Convention);
- Demolition munitions;
- Night vision devices;
- Tactical secure communications systems;
- Medical supplies; and
- Spare parts and other field equipment.
Follow Breitbart News’s Kristina Wong on Twitter, Truth Social, or on Facebook.
