01 March 2022

Ukraine conflict: US, Canada eye more Ukraine aid

by Marc Selinger

US President Joe Biden has asked Congress to fund USD6.4 billion in additional Ukraine-related assistance, according to a Biden administration official.

The requested amount would support recent US troop deployments to shore up NATO's eastern flank; provide security assistance to Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, the Baltics, and eastern flank allies; and bolster regional efforts to counter Russian cyber attacks and disinformation. The request, which the administration outlined to lawmakers on 25 February, also includes humanitarian aid.

The proposed funding is in addition to the USD1 billion in security assistance that the administration has committed to Ukraine over the past year. The USD1 billion figure includes USD350 million that Biden approved on 25 February to provide Javelin anti-tank missiles, small arms, body armour, and other equipment.

“We are working to expedite deliveries from the latest package the president approved,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on 28 February. “We expect equipment to start arriving within the next couple of days from this package.”

The Canadian government is also beefing up its support for Ukraine, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeting on 28 February that Ottawa will provide “anti-tank weapon systems and upgraded ammunition”.

Trudeau's announcement came a day after his government indicated it would send CAN25 million (USD19.7 million) in personal protective equipment, including body armour, gas masks, helmets, and night-vision goggles, and it revealed two weeks after it will ship more than CAN7 million worth of lethal weapons, including machine guns, sniper rifles, carbines, pistols, and ammunition.