America’s involvement with the war in Ukraine hit a new phase on Wednesday, when the Biden administration kicked off an effort to funnel billions of dollars directly into the U.S. defense industry to support Kyiv’s long-term fight against Russia.[…]
The White House is also preparing to send Congress a new plan to restock the warehouses of NATO Baltic allies who have sent their own equipment to help in the fight.
The Biden administration announced a new $3 billion package on Wednesday that will directly fund contracts with the U.S. defense industry for artillery rounds, mortar rounds, surface-to-air missile systems; a new counter-drone capability; additional drones; and 24 counter-battery radars. The move marks a major shift in how the U.S. has supplied Ukraine, from pulling existing weapons off of shelves to awarding contracts to defense firms for weapons that need to be built.
None of that equipment will arrive for months, if not years. But officials say the investment will allow Kyiv to begin planning for its own future defense. The hope is that other wealthy European nations, which have at times lagged in their support for Ukraine, might follow suit in the coming months. Läs artikel