Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday during a surprise visit to Ukraine announced $400 million in U.S. military aid to Kiev — the second approximately $400 million aid package sent within one week.
Austin told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky he was “honored” to be back for his fourth visit to Ukraine.
“Under President Biden’s leadership, the United States remains committed to keeping up this support. And so, I’m pleased to announce today the commitment of a $400 million presidential drawdown package to provide your forces with additional munitions, armored vehicles, and anti-tank weapons,” he told the Ukrainian president.
Austin said while the “focus on Ukraine’s immediate needs goes on,” the U.S. was also committed to supporting Ukraine as outlined in a bilateral security agreement he and President Joe Biden signed in July.
Just six days ago, the White House announced a package of military support of $425 million, after Biden spoke to Zelensky via phone.
Biden was planning to host a meeting in October of countries supporting Ukraine, but cancelled in advance of Hurricane Milton to help coordinate a response from Washington, after being in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, during Hurricane Helene. The meeting will now take place virtually in November, which sets up another opportunity for Biden to announce more aid.
The Biden-Harris administration’s aid to Ukraine was announced the same day former President Donald Trump visited North Carolina, where residents are still recovering from the deadliest hurricane in the continental United States since Hurricane Katrina.
Zelensky thanked the “American people, President Biden and bipartisan support.”
“We are very thankful for all the support from the United States that’s been done for Ukraine from the very beginning of this war,” he said.
Zelensky added, “And by the way, thanks for the last package supporting our soldiers,” saying that he and Biden “discussed a lot of important things about victory plan, about preparing for winter with our air defense capabilities, how to strengthen all this.”
“And we discussed also some details [about] next packages which are crucial for us, especially now this challenging winter period,” he said. “So — and we discuss all this with the president. I want to continue. Maybe we will have some results — no, I’m sure that we will have some important results.”
Sickening! And unAmerican. Disaster victims are ignored, while Zelinski lives in his gold-trimmed mansion!
Not anywhere near…America First.