US preparing $371m weapons package for Ukraine, officials say

WASHINGTON — The United States is preparing a US$275 million (S$371 million) military aid package for Ukraine, which will include 155mm artillery shells, precision aerial munitions and ground vehicles, three US officials told Reuters on May 23.

Moscow's forces have hammered the north-eastern city of Kharkiv for months and launched a ground assault into the north of the surrounding region on May 10, an offencive that Kyiv says has stalled on two lines of attack for now.

The weapons aid, which could be announced as soon as Friday, will utilise Presidential Drawdown Authority, which authorises the president to transfer articles and services from US stocks without specific congressional approval during an emergency.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the matter publicly.

As a part of the US$95 billion aid Bills, Congress authorised US$60.8 billion worth of various forms of aid to Ukraine, including US$8 billion worth of presidential drawdown authority items.

While the package mainly includes munitions, it also includes vehicles that are designed to recover disabled tanks and other heavy equipment from the battlefield, a sign that the US expects attacks and equipment losses to continue.

Military analysts expected a boost in the order backlog of RTX, along with other major companies that receive government contracts, such as Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, and Northrop Grumman, following passage of the supplemental spending Bill.

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