Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky is in Washington to meet with President Biden and address a joint session of Congress. According to a senior administration official, President Biden will announce a $2 billion security package to Ukraine, which will include a Patriot missile battery.
According to the State Department, Patriots are capable of defending against cruise missiles, short range ballistic missiles, and destroying aircraft that are flying significantly higher than what Ukraine’s current systems are capable of. The U.S. will train Ukrainian forces on how to operate the equipment in a third country. It will ultimately be used to protect against air raids on critical infrastructure like the electric grid.
“Russia is trying to weaponize winter by freezing and starving Ukrainian civilians and forcing families from their homes. In response, President Biden will announce today that the United States is providing critical new and additional military capabilities to help Ukraine defend itself from Russia’s ongoing brutal and unprovoked assault,” Sec. of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
Presidents Zelenskyy and Biden will also celebrate the anticipated approval of $40 billion in funding for Ukraine that’s being included in the 2023 government spending bill. The senior administration official said Zelenskyy wants to thank America for its bipartisan support throughout the war, while President Biden and Congress want to send a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that America will provide support “as long as it takes”.
“But the most basic reasons for continuing to help Ukraine degrade and defeat the Russian invaders are cold, hard, practical American interests. Helping equip our friends in Eastern Europe to win this war is also a direct investment in reducing Vladimir Putin’s future capabilities to menace America, threaten our allies, and contest our core interests,” Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said.
But as Republicans take a majority in the House of Representatives, they are expressing some skepticism about what’s been called a blank check approach to Ukraine. Some have called for reduction in aid while more have called for audits to ensure the money and weapons are going exactly where they’re intended. So it’s also anticipated that Zelenskyy will try to convince them that continued support is an absolute necessity for his war effort and the world. Senior members of Congress are already spreading that message.
“I hope all House Republicans will attend the Zelenskyy address this evening. And when they do, they should listen to President Zelenskyy describe the horror his people have endured at the hands of Vladimir Putin,” Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said. “The single worst thing we can do right now is give Putin any signal that we are wavering in our commitment to defend democracy in Ukraine and around the globe.”
Since the beginning of the Biden administration, the U.S. has provided Ukraine with $21.9 billion in military assistance. In addition to the Patriot missile system, the next round of support will include Stingers, which are shoulder fired air-defense missiles, and drones or UAVs.
