US Announces $8 Billion Military Aid Package to Ukraine as Biden Meets Zelenskyy

US military aid package to Ukraine

As Biden meets with Zelensky at the White House, the US announces another $8 billion in military aid to Ukraine

WASHINGTON — On September 26, 2023, President Joe Biden announced an $8 billion military aid package to Ukraine during a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which includes advanced military equipment such as a Patriot missile system and precision-guided munitions, alongside an expanded training program for Ukrainian F-16 pilots. Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for the support, emphasizing its significance for Ukrainian defense and the broader goal of transatlantic security.

Meanwhile, the ongoing conflict has prompted discussions about Ukraine striking deeper into Russian territory to diminish its missile capabilities. Amid these tensions, Russian forces launched a significant drone and missile attack on Ukraine, which was largely intercepted by Ukrainian air defenses, though debris from the downed drones caused damage in Ukrainian cities. In contrast, former President Donald Trump criticized the current administration’s military aid strategy, suggesting that it undermines potential negotiations for peace with Russia.

Key Concepts

• President Joe Biden announced an additional $8 billion in military aid to Ukraine during a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
• The aid package includes a Patriot missile launch system, air-to-ground munitions, and precision-guided glide bombs.
• The U.S. is expanding its training program for Ukrainian F-16 fighter pilots, planning to train 18 pilots next year.
• Biden reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to support Ukraine against Russian aggression.
• Zelensky expressed gratitude for U.S. aid, emphasizing its importance for the protection of Ukrainian citizens.
• Discussions between Biden and Zelensky focused on strategies for achieving victory in the war against Russia.
• There are ongoing debates about the necessity for Ukraine to strike deeper into Russian territory to weaken its military capabilities.
• Former President Donald Trump criticized the Biden administration’s military aid approach, advocating for negotiations with Russia instead.
• Russian forces launched 78 drones and four guided missiles at Ukraine, with significant interceptions by Ukrainian air defenses.
• Debris from intercepted drones caused damage to a residential building and a gas pipeline in Ukraine.
• Russia’s Defense Ministry reported shooting down several Ukrainian drones over its own territories.
• A drone strike attributed to Ukraine in Belgorod resulted in one fatality.

The U.S. government announced an additional $8 billion in new military aid to Ukraine as U.S. President Joe Biden met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Thursday (September 26).

Biden said in a statement that the aid projects include a Patriot missile launch system and its missiles, air-to-ground munitions, and precision-guided glide bombs with a range of up to 130 kilometers.

The United States is also expanding its training program for Ukrainian F-16 fighter pilots, adding 18 Ukrainian pilots to be trained next year.

“For nearly three years, the United States has united the world to stand with the Ukrainian people as they confront Russian aggression and defend their freedom. Providing Ukraine with the support it needs to win has been a top priority of my administration,” Biden said in a statement.

Zelensky was quick to thank the United States, stressing that the new aid contained “equipment that is vital to protecting our people.”

“We will use this aid in the most effective and transparent way in order to achieve our important common goals: victory for Ukraine, a just and lasting peace, and transatlantic security,” Zelenskiy said in a post on the X platform.

Zelensky also said earlier that he would discuss plans on how to win a war against Russia during the meeting at the White House.

Among the topics expected is Ukraine’s demand that arms donors allow Ukrainian forces to use the weapons to strike targets deep inside Russia. Ukrainian leaders say such strikes are necessary to cripple Russia’s ability to carry out daily missile and drone strikes.

Zelenskiy said he and Biden spoke on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, and he thanked Biden for his support for Ukraine and gave an update on the situation on the front line.

Meanwhile, former U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the situation in Ukraine was the fault of Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who were simply promising military aid to Ukraine instead of pushing Ukrainian leaders to cede territory to Russia.

“Biden and Harris have allowed this situation to develop by providing Zelensky with money and ammunition in an unprecedented way,” Trump said.

Trump argued that Ukraine should have compromised with Moscow before Russia launched a full-scale war of aggression in February 2022.

“Any deal, including the worst deal, is better than what we have right now,” Trump said.

The former US leader questioned Ukraine’s current strength to negotiate an end to the war.

“What kind of deal can we make? There is nothing,” Trump said. “People are dead and the country is in ruins.”

The Ukrainian military said Thursday that Russian forces launched 78 drones and four guided missiles Wednesday night, but 66 of the drones and all four missiles were shot down.

The Ukrainian military said the interceptions were carried out over Cherkasy, Dnipropetrovsk, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Khmelnitsky, Kirovohrad, Kiev, Nikolayev, Odessa, Poltava, Sumy and Vinnytsia.

Ukrainian air defenses shot down more than a dozen Russian drones overnight Wednesday, with debris from the downed drones setting a residential building on fire and damaging a gas pipeline, officials in Kiev said Thursday.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Thursday that its forces shot down four Ukrainian drones over Belgorod Oblast, two over Kursk Oblast and one over Bryansk Oblast.

Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said a Ukrainian drone strike hit a car, killing one person.