The U.S. is sending a new round of military assistance, valued at up to $275 million to Ukraine, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said today.
The package includes ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, mortar and artillery rounds and unmanned aerial systems to meet critical battlefield needs as Russia’s war of aggression surpasses 1,000 days.
In previewing the White House announcement of the latest round of assistance, Austin underscored the importance of continuing to support Ukraine.
“What we learned early on is that Ukraine matters and not just to Ukraine, and not just to Europe,” Austin said. “It matters to the world.
“We shouldn’t have any situation where someone can wake up one day and attack its neighbor and change the borders and annex its neighbor’s property,” he said. “That is just not the world that any of us want to live in.”
The secretary added that the U.S.-led efforts to rally global allies and partners in support of Ukraine continue to be effective in countering Russia’s onslaught.
“The largest military in Europe invaded its neighbor, who had a much smaller inventory, much less capability, and 1,000 days later they’ve yet to be successful,” he said. “This war has gone on for 1,000 days and [Russian President Vladimir] Putin has failed in every case to achieve any sort of strategic objective.”
The latest round of assistance marks the 70th drawdown of military equipment for Ukraine from DOD inventories since August 2021.
It follows President Joe Biden’s commitment in September to surge the more than $5 billion in remaining presidential drawdown authority funds authorized by Congress.
The assistance also comes with new urgency as Russia leans on thousands of North Korean troops to fill out its ranks.
Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said earlier this week that nearly 11,000 North Korean troops have moved into Russia’s Kursk Region.
She said the Pentagon had not confirmed reports that the North Koreans had begun to engage in combat operations but said, “They’re moving into Kursk for a reason.”
“We have every expectation that they would be engaged in combat operations,” Singh said.
Austin announced a new round of assistance from Vientiane, Laos, where he is attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus.
U.S. defense secretaries have participated in the forum since 2010 when it was established by the 10-member bloc of Southeast Asian nations.
During the two-day series of engagements, Austin will meet with a range of regional allies and partners informally during the meeting and reaffirm the United States’ commitment to regional security.
Following the first round of discussions today, Austin announced that ASEAN member states approved a second iteration of a U.S.-led maritime exercise with ASEAN countries, which was first held in 2019.
Tomorrow, Austin is expected to announce the first-ever Defense Department vision statement for a prosperous and secure Southeast Asia.
“It’s great to be back at the ADMM-Plus for my fourth time as secretary,” he said. “Being here is a priority and a sign of strong support for ASEAN’s central role in regional security. Engagement with ASEAN is focused on practical cooperation and mutual respect, and that includes training the next generation of leaders and tackling emerging challenges and deepening maritime cooperation.”
Austin proposed a meeting with People’s Republic of China’s Minister of National Defense Dong Jun, who’s also a member of ADMM-Plus.
The secretary has continued to advocate for open lines of military-to-military communication between the U.S. and China but said today that his Chinese counterpart chose not to meet during this week’s forum.
“The PRC decision is a setback for the whole region,” he said. “As I’ve said consistently, the right time to meet is any time.”
