Pentagon announces $250 million in military aid to Ukraine

The Ukrainian military will get sniper rifles, grenade launchers, counter-battery radar systems, night vision equipment and communication devices, the Pentagon statement said. The inventory does not seem to deviate from what Kiev received as military aid from Washington over the previous years.

The statement said the package will bring total US security assistance to Ukraine to $1.5 billion since 2014, when a US-backed coup in Kiev ousted Ukraine’s elected government. Kiev accused Russia of starting the conflict and requested military assistance from Western nations.

Washington’s assistance escalated under the Trump administration, which agreed to provide the Ukrainians with more advanced lethal weapons like anti-tank missiles, a move that his predecessor in the White House wouldn’t take.

The announcement comes amid the transition period for Ukraine’s new President Volodymyr Zelensky, who campaigned on a promise to eradicate corruption and bring peace to the country. His rhetoric, however, became more belligerent after his inauguration.