Monitoring Desk
WASHINGTON: The United States (US) on Friday announced $3 billion in military assistance for Kyiv, which Washington said was the largest assistance package for Ukraine to date.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the aid is expected to include MRAPs, Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, self-propelled howitzers and personnel carriers.
Washington and Kyiv
The US and Germany announced yesterday that they would deliver armored vehicles — Bradleys from the US and Marders from Germany — but did not provide more details.
Germany said Friday that it would provide about 40 of the Marder vehicles to Kyiv within weeks, and that training would be provided to personnel in Germany.
The US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told the media that the Bradleys infantry fighting vehicles are very important in terms of being able to do what they call combined arms maneuver warfare, an area in which the Pentagon said it will train Kyiv’s troops.
Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Pat Ryder expressed confidence that the vehicles will help Kyiv in the battleground.
Kyiv has long pushed for heavy weapons including tanks, that would help its operations. Western countries have been reluctant to send arms, citing fears of becoming further drawn into the conflict or provoking Moscow.
The US and German announcement on the armored vehicles came following France made promise to provide its AMX-10 RC light tanks to Kyiv.
