INA- sources
The Biden administration is expected to announce another substantial security assistance package for Ukraine this week, five U.S. officials familiar with the matter told NBC News.
The package is set to be about the same size as the $800 million military aid package President Joe Biden announced last week, three of those officials said.
Earlier in the day, Biden confirmed that the U.S. will send more artillery to Ukraine. When asked whether he planned to do so, he paused and replied, “Yes.”
The United States has already provided more than 50 million rounds of ammunition to Ukrainian forces. But as troops go through tens of thousands of rounds a day, and fiercer fighting is expected in the coming weeks, there is an urgent need for additional aid.
The need for more artillery was also raised Tuesday morning when Biden joined a secure call with more than a half-dozen world leaders, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby declined to detail items in the upcoming weapons package during a briefing at the Defense Department, citing security concerns. Kirby said that the makeup of previous U.S. security packages comes “directly out of multiple conversations with the Ukrainians.”
Among the weapons included in the $800 million security package announced April 13 were 18 howitzer artillery systems, the first known heavy artillery platforms of that caliber to be transferred to Ukrainian forces. The Pentagon also committed 40,000 artillery rounds, from both Army and Marine Corps stockpiles.
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