US President Joe Biden’s administration is preparing a $725 million arms package for Ukraine, two US officials said on Wednesday as the outgoing president looks to strengthen the government in Kiev before leaving office in January.
The Biden administration plans to provide a variety of anti-tank weapons from U.S. stocks, including land mines, drones, Stinger missiles and high mobility artillery rockets, to blunt Russia’s growing forces, according to an official familiar with the planning. Ammunition for the system (HIMARS) is included. ,
According to the notification seen by Reuters, the package is also expected to include cluster munitions, which are typically found in Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) rockets fired by HIMARS launchers.
An official said formal notification to Congress of the arms package could come as soon as Monday.
The content and size of the package could change in the coming days before Biden’s expected signature.
This marks a huge increase in size from Biden’s recent use of the so-called Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), which allows the US to draw from existing weapons stockpiles to help allies in an emergency.
Recent PDA announcements have typically ranged from $125 million to $250 million. Biden has an estimated $4 billion to $5 billion in PDAs already authorized by Congress, which he hopes to use before Republican President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20.
The United States has not exported landmines for decades, and their use is controversial because of the potential harm to civilians. Although more than 160 countries have signed a treaty banning their use, Kiev is seeking them as Russia launches its full-scale offensive in early 2022 and Russian forces use them on the front lines Is.
The landmines being shipped to Ukraine are “non-permanent” landmines, in which the power system is out for a short period of time, making the devices non-lethal. This means that – unlike older landmines – they will not remain in the ground, endangering civilians indefinitely.
Analysts and war bloggers said this week that Russian forces are currently making the fastest advance into Ukraine since the early days of the 2022 invasion, and have captured an area half the size of London in the past month.
The United States expects Ukraine to use mines on its territory, although it has committed not to use them in areas populated by its citizens.
Trump on Wednesday called on retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg to serve as special envoy for the conflict, who presented him with a plan to end the war in Ukraine. Ending the Ukraine war quickly was one of Trump’s central campaign promises, though he has avoided discussing how he would do so.
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