US Sends More Arms to Ukraine at a Whopping Cost

The United States to provide additional weapons to Ukraine, including 155mm shells and HIMARS ammunition.
Saves Costs and Secures $300 Million

The Biden administration in the United States announced on the 12th that it would provide weapons worth $300 million to Ukraine.

Jake Sullivan, the National Security Advisor, announced this during a White House briefing, stating, “Ukraine does not have enough ammunition to retaliate against Russia. This is causing a cost to the US and NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) alliance.”

The cost was explained as “part of the budget secured through price negotiations in the process of signing a purchase contract with a defense company to replenish the stock of weapons that the Department of Defense had previously provided to Ukraine.”

He said, “We set the budget for purchasing 155mm shells at $130 per round, but the actual contract amount was $93,” stating that this was not planned.

However, according to CNN, an official from the US Department of Defense showed concern, saying, “This is somewhat makeshift or one-time.” The official said, “No one knows whether there will be more budget in the future or when it will come.”

Another official pointed out, “Providing weapons to Ukraine is not a long-term solution because Republican leaders in the House of Representatives continue to refuse to submit a bill to provide additional military support.”

The weapons included in this support include 155mm shells, which are desperately needed by the Ukrainian military, multiple-launch rockets for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), short-range ATACMS missiles, and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles.

In particular, HIMARS is a rocket that can attack an area the size of a soccer field and has inflicted several fatal blows on the Russian army in the Ukrainian war.

This is not the first time the US Department of Defense has announced an unexpected additional funding source for Ukraine.

Last year, the US Department of Defense announced that $6 billion worth was overestimated due to entering the cost of purchasing new items instead of the existing value of inventory items in accounting for various weapons provided by the United States to Ukraine.

However, the US Department of Defense stated that the number of weapons sent to Ukraine did not decrease due to accounting errors.