The United States will provide $1.85 billion in additional military assistance to Ukraine, including the transfer of the Patriot Air Defense System, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on Wednesday. The announcement comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is en route to Washington on Wednesday to meet U.S. President Joe Biden and address Congress on his first known international trip since Russia invaded Ukraine 300 days ago. The assistance includes a $1 billion credit to provide Ukraine with “expanded air defense and precision strike capabilities” and an additional $850 million in security assistance, Blinken said. “Today’s assistance for the first time includes the Patriot Air Defense System, capable of bringing down cruise missiles, short-range ballistic missiles and aircraft to a significantly higher ceiling than previously delivered air defense systems,” Blinken said in his statement released by the State Department. Zelenskiy previously said his US visit was aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s “resilience and defense capacity” amid repeated Russian missile and drone strikes on the country’s power and water supply capabilities in the dead of winter. *Reproduction of this content is prohibited.
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