White House Releases $200M In Weapons, Services For Ukraine

In a memorandum Saturday, Mar. 12, 2022, US President Joe Biden delegated Secretary of State Antony Blinken to direct the drawdown of $200 million in defense articles and services, including military education and training, for Ukraine.

Photo Insert: US Secretary of State and counterpart Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba

Per the Department of Defense, the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (FAA) allows a president to authorize the “disposition of US property or services,” a drawdown, to foreign nations without legislative authority or budgetary appropriations, which is typically deployed in case of an emergency in a foreign country or region, DJ Judd and Jasmine Wright reported for CNN.

Under such circumstances, an “ad hoc interagency process” including representatives from the National Security Council, Department of Defense and State Department “determines which existing statutory authority applies to the situation and identifies which articles and services should be provided” — in this case, education and training for Ukrainian military forces.

Per a White House official, today’s announcement brings the total amount of security assistance provided to Ukraine to $1.2 billion in the past year.

Earlier this month, the administration authorized a $350 million drawdown package, which another official told reporters constitutes “the largest presidential drawdown package in history.”

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