US to Provide Additional $1 Billion in Weapons to Ukraine; Germany and Canada Also Promise Additional Support

Lloyd Austin, U.S. Secretary of Defense
Photo by AP Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] The New York Times reported on the 15th (local time) that the United States announced an additional $1 billion worth of weapons support for Ukraine. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin stated that Germany, Canada, and others also pledged additional weapons support for Ukraine.

U.S. President Joe Biden announced that about $1 billion worth of additional weapons and other support would be provided for Ukraine. President Biden also conveyed the related details during a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

While visiting Brussels, Belgium, home to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) headquarters, Secretary Austin disclosed the detailed support at the NATO headquarters.

Through this support, the United States will provide Ukraine with the Harpoon coastal defense system for the first time. Ukraine has been requesting support for the Harpoon coastal defense system to defend against missile attacks launched by the Russian fleet in the Black Sea. It is known that it will take about two months for the Harpoon defense system to be deployed in Ukraine.

In addition to the Harpoon coastal defense system, the U.S. will support ▲18 units of 155mm howitzers and 36,000 rounds of 155mm shells ▲18 tactical vehicles for towing howitzers ▲ammunition for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), a truck-mounted multiple rocket launcher system. The HIMARS, which was previously promised, is expected to be deployed in Ukraine for combat by the end of this month.

Secretary Austin explained that several NATO member countries will provide additional weapons support to Ukraine alongside the United States. He said Germany will provide a multiple rocket launcher system similar to HIMARS, Slovakia will provide helicopters, and Canada, Poland, and the Netherlands have pledged to supply shells.

As Russia has recently intensified its offensive in eastern Ukraine, including the Donbas region, leveraging its firepower superiority, President Zelensky has continuously demanded strong weapons support from the West. In response, the West, including the United States, has stepped up additional support.

Before the NATO defense ministers' meeting on the same day, Secretary Austin chaired the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting. The Ukraine Defense Contact Group refers to about 50 countries that have declared support for Ukraine. This includes all 30 NATO member countries.

The Wall Street Journal explained that although the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting was held at NATO headquarters, the participants emphasized that they were not related to NATO, which was intended to avoid provoking Russia.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.