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More than two months into the Kremlin’s unjustified and brutal war, it is impossible not to be moved by what the people of Ukraine have achieved. It is also impossible not to believe that they will keep succeeding, because they have demonstrated that they have the will and skill to fight. Despite the suffering they have endured, and the widespread death and destruction that Russia’s brutal and unprovoked war continues to inflict, Ukraine is and will continue to be a free and independent country.
I am authorizing today, pursuant to a delegation from the President, a drawdown to provide further immediate military assistance to Ukraine, valued at up to $150 million worth of additional arms and equipment from U.S. Department of Defense inventories. This authorization is the ninth drawdown of arms, equipment, and supplies from Department of Defense inventories for Ukraine since August 2021. This brings total U.S. security assistance to Ukraine to approximately $3.8 billion in arms and equipment since Russia launched its brutal and unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
We will continue to provide Ukraine the arms its forces are effectively using to defend their country and the freedom of their fellow citizens. In addition to military assistance, we also continue to provide direct U.S. financial support to Ukraine, support for documenting evidence of Russia’s atrocities against Ukraine’s civilians, and measures to continue ratcheting up the pressure on Putin’s crumbling economy. Taken together, these efforts will help strengthen Ukraine’s position at the negotiating table while continuing to isolate Russia from the world until it ends its senseless war of choice on Ukraine.
The United States, our Allies, and our partners are proud to stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine in their just cause ̶ the defense of their country and their democracy. Together, we will continue to support Ukraine’s defense of its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and we will continue to fund humanitarian assistance for those in need. Ukraine won the battle for Kyiv and we will help Ukraine keep up the fight for as long as it takes. We stand united with Ukraine.
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