What to Know In Washington: US Readying $2B in Aid for Ukraine
By Michaela Ross
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The US will send Ukraine another $2 billion in security assistance under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, to build on previous efforts to aid Ukrainian defenses against Russia.
The initiative is intended to finance contracts with delivery dates months or even years away to bolster the nation’s long-term security needs, not for immediate battlefield use.
Ukraine has asked repeatedly for fighter jets, which the US has been wary of providing because of the risk of provoking Russia.
“F-16s are not a question for the short-term fight,” National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said. “F-16s are a question for the-long term defense of Ukraine, and that’s a conversation that President Biden and President Zelenskiy had.”
Since fiscal 2022, the Pentagon has received $18.3 billion in congressional appropriations through Jan. 31 for Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative contracts. The Pentagon has awarded $2.9 billion in contracts, including $1.3 billion to Raytheon for the NASAMS air defense system. Read more.
More on the War in Ukraine
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Around the Administration
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To contact the reporter on this story: Michaela Ross in Washington at mross@bgov.com
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Katrice Eborn at keborn@bgov.com
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