US Rushes Ammo and Key Military Supplies to Ukraine Amidst Crisis

US Rushes Ammo and Key Military Supplies to Ukraine Amidst Crisis.

US Rushes Ammo and Key Military Supplies to Ukraine: After President Joe Biden signed a long-delayed bill to support Ukraine as it struggles to hold back Russian advances, the United States on Wednesday sent ammunition, weapons and other war supplies to Kiev.

Legislation was finalized after months of political wrangling, during which Ukrainian forces ran out of ammunition and suffered setbacks.

Biden told reporters he was "making sure the shipments start right away, in the next few hours," after signing the national security package passed this weekend by the House of Representatives and the Senate.

"This legislation will make America safer, it will make the world safer, and it will continue American leadership in the world," he said.

Within minutes of Biden's remarks, the Pentagon announced that the new funding would be used to buy anti-tank weapons, air defense munitions, artillery rounds, and ammunition for HIMARS precision rocket launchers.

Wednesday, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked his supporters on social media.

He thanked President Biden, Congress, and all Americans for realizing that the only way to truly reduce threats to freedom is to cut the ground under Putin's feet rather than obey him.

Only once has Washington announced new aid for Ukraine this year, a $300 million package in March that was made possible by saving money on other purchases by the Pentagon.

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State Department officials confirmed Wednesday that the United States secretly sent long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine as part of the March assistance package.

"We did not announce this at the onset in order to maintain operational security for Ukraine at their request," State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters, adding that the "missiles arrived in Ukraine this month."

The long-range version of the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) supplied to Ukraine is capable of hitting targets up to 300 kilometers (190 miles) away.

Last year, the White House reported that the United States sent a shorter-range variant of the ATACMS.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan warned that "there is no silver bullet" when it comes to sending more long-range missiles to Ukraine.

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As a result of months of acrimonious debate among lawmakers, Biden signed legislation worth $95 billion to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia's invasion, launched in February 2022.

The Senate passed a similar bill in February.

While Republican Speaker Mike Johnson -- responding to calls from ex-president Donald Trump and his hardline allies -- demanded concessions from Biden on immigration policies, it had stalled in the House of Representatives.

In response to Russia's invasion, Ukraine has received billions of dollars in security assistance.

Kiev's military faces a shortage of arms and recruits due to Congress' refusal to approve large-scale funding.

After signing a bill providing humanitarian aid to Sudan, Haiti, and Gaza, he urged Israel to ensure aid reaches Palestinians as soon as possible.

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