The United States is planning to send a military aid package to Ukraine valued at up to $1 billion immediately after a supplemental funding bill passed by the Senate on Tuesday becomes law, two defense officials told VOA.
The package drawn from U.S. military stockpiles will include HIMARS ammunition and 155-millimeter projectiles, along with Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, Javelins, Stingers and other critical needs, added the officials, who spoke to VOA on condition of anonymity to discuss security plans.
A senior White House official said President Joe Biden ordered the Defense Department to deliver military equipment to Poland and Germany "a few weeks ago" in anticipation of passage of a supplemental aid bill to ensure immediate delivery. once he signs the bill into law.
Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said the United States could deliver the planned aid "within days." He added that the package will likely include artillery and air defense capabilities.
On Saturday, the US House of Representatives approved a four-part foreign aid package worth $95 billion for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan after months of stalemate.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, structured the bills so they could be combined into one after each bill passed, to prevent opposition to any one piece from derailing the entire deal. Johnson had refused to bring relief packages to the vote for months.
The Senate initially passed a supplemental aid bill in February, when Ukraine said ammunition shortages were causing its forces to withdraw from some areas.
The legislation recently passed by the House includes $61 billion for the defense of kyiv against Moscow's invasion, as well as $26 billion for Israel and humanitarian aid for civilians in conflict zones, including Gaza, and $8 billion for the Indo-Pacific region.
Biden, in a statement Saturday, urged the Senate to "quickly send this package to my desk so I can sign it into law."
The United States could send additional military advisors to its embassy in kyiv to advise and support the Ukrainian government and military, Pentagon spokesman Ryder told VOA on Monday.
The troops would play a non-combatant role to augment the Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC) at the embassy, Ryder said.
Two U.S. defense officials, speaking to VOA on condition of anonymity to discuss plans that have not been finalized, said the number of advisers was "small" and could fluctuate slightly depending on embassy requirements. A source familiar with the considerations said the number of troops was "less than two dozen."
Troops could advise on issues such as logistics, maintenance, communications and sustainment, defense officials added.
According to the Pentagon, the ODC performs a variety of advisory and support missions and is embedded in the U.S. Embassy under the direction of the head of the mission.