The United States announced a US$300 million aid plan to Kyiv on March 12 (representative)
Washington has provided Ukraine with small arms and ammunition seized from Iranian forces transported to Yemeni rebels backed by Tehran, the U.S. military said on Tuesday.
Last week’s transfer, which comes as Ukraine is severely short of ammunition and U.S. Republican lawmakers have blocked new aid, does not address Kyiv’s need for critical items such as artillery and anti-aircraft munitions.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on social media that “the U.S. government on Thursday transferred more than 5,000 AK-47s, machine guns, sniper rifles, RPG-7s and more than 500,000 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition to the Ukrainian armed forces.”
“These weapons will help Ukraine defend against Russian aggression” and are enough to equip a brigade, the statement said.
U.S. Central Command said the weapons and ammunition were seized from four “stateless vessels” between May 2021 and February 2023 as the supplies were being transferred from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards to Yemen’s Houthi rebels in hand.
“The government obtained title to these munitions on December 1, 2023 through a Department of Justice civil forfeiture claim,” the statement said.
The Houthis have been targeting shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November 2023 in what they say is an act of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, a major international security challenge that threatens major waterways.
Congress deadlocked on aid
“Iran’s support for armed groups threatens international and regional security, our military, diplomats, citizens of the region, and our partners. We will continue to do everything we can to expose and stop Iran’s destabilizing activities,” Central Command explain.
Washington made a similar transfer to Ukraine in early October, providing 1.1 million rounds of 7.62mm ammunition seized from Iranian forces en route to Yemen.
But Republican lawmakers have stalled a $60 billion support package in the U.S. Congress since last year, hampering the delivery of vital artillery and anti-aircraft munitions to Ukraine, and amid uncertainty over when the next delivery will take place, Kiev’s military Ammunition had to be rationed. will arrive.
On March 12, the United States announced a $300 million aid package to Kyiv, its first aid package since December last year, which included air defense and anti-tank weapons and artillery shells, but warned at the time that the funds would not be available for several years. Use after weeks. .
The program is funded by money the Pentagon has saved on other purchases, allowing the U.S. government to provide aid in the event of congressional gridlock.
U.S. officials have led the push for international support for Ukraine, quickly forming a coalition to support Kiev after Russia invaded the country in 2022 and coordinating aid from dozens of countries.
Washington has been by far Kyiv’s largest security aid donor and has pledged tens of billions of dollars in aid to Kyiv since the invasion.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
