US State Department approves $410 million in proposed arms sales to Ukraine
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Ukrainian servicemen in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region firing an M101 howitzer towards Russian troops on July 21.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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WASHINGTON – The US State Department on July 23 announced the approval of US$322 million (S$411 million) in arms sales to bolster Ukraine’s air defences and its armoured combat vehicles.
The announcement of the proposed sales comes after Washington temporarily halted some weapons shipments to Ukraine earlier in July even as Kyiv faced heavy Russian missile and drone attacks.
The sale of Hawk air defence equipment and sustainment will cost up to US$172 million, while Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle equipment and services will total up to US$150 million, the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said.
The proposed Hawk equipment sale “will improve Ukraine’s capability to meet current and future threats by further equipping it to conduct self-defence and regional security missions with a more robust air defence capability”, DSCA said.
And the Bradley equipment and services will help meet Ukraine’s “urgent need to strengthen local sustainment capabilities to maintain high operational rates for United States-provided vehicles and weapon systems”, it said.
The US State Department approved the possible sales and the DSCA provided the required notification to the US Congress, which still needs to sign off on the transactions.
The latest proposed military sale to Ukraine follows another announced in early May valued at US$310.5 million for F-16 training and sustainment.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin launched the full-scale invasion of neighbouring Ukraine in 2022 and has shown little willingness to end the conflict despite pressure from the United States.
Under former US president Joe Biden, Washington committed to providing more than US$65 billion in military assistance to Ukraine.
But US President Donald Trump – long sceptical of assistance for Ukraine – has not followed suit, announcing no new military aid packages for Kyiv since he returned to office in January. AFP
