US provides Ukraine with new aid package worth $988 million

(Patria) - The United States has unveiled an aid package of $988 million for new weapons and equipment for Ukraine in its ongoing fight against the Russian invasion, Reuters reported.

The package nearly halved the available $2.21 billion remaining in the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), as the Biden administration works to commit to purchasing weapons from industry, rather than drawing from U.S. weapons stocks.

USAI funds will be used to purchase ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) manufactured by Lockheed Martin, as well as drones and spare parts for maintaining artillery equipment, the Pentagon stated.

The package announcement came on Saturday as defense industry and policymakers meet at the annual Reagan National Defense Forum in California.

The Biden administration has often used presidential drawdown authority, which authorizes President Joe Biden to transfer excess articles and services from U.S. stocks without congressional approval during an emergency.

USAI funds are separate and will go towards procuring new weapons from industry. Since Russia's invasion in February 2022, the U.S. has provided Ukraine with more than $62 billion in security assistance.