Roadblocks in a residential area of Odessa, Ukraine, on September 5, 2022. Dominika Zarzycka/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Ukraine’s Supporters Aim to Create Long-Term Aid Mechanisms
Leaders from NATO, the U.S., and others will gather to discuss ideas on Thursday.
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany—Urgent needs and long-term support for Ukraine will be on the agenda at a Thursday meeting of the NATO secretary general, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and officials from various countries supporting Kyiv, two senior defense officials said. according to two senior defense officials here.
“You're going to hear about a [United Kingdom]-created…donor fund so that countries that want to execute procurement contracts to support Ukraine long term will have access to a pool of money, and the Ukrainians will have access to a pool of money for that longer term procurement. And you're going to also hear from NATO, thinking about longer-term sustainment for a country that is a NATO partner,” one of the officials told reporters.
“What you've seen with our assistance is we've also started to invest in longer-term capability needs with Ukrainians. And that's where you saw our $3 billion Ukraine security assistance initiative package, unveiled earlier in August, turning that corner to look at the long term investments,” a second official said. Ukraine will continue to need both advanced technologies such as Switchblade drones and reliable access to lower-tech necessities like 155 mm artillery ammunition among a variety of other military needs, according to the official.
Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley has undertaken an analysis of how the United States can best provide longer-term support for Ukraine, CNN reported Wednesday.
The officials said the challenge is to support Ukraine now, as it attempts to retake territory in the southern portion of the country, while establishing funding and other support mechanisms for the years ahead.
In fiscal year 2022, U.S. assistance to Ukraine has included appropriations of $12.55 billion “to replenish Department of Defense (DOD) equipment stocks sent to Ukraine via presidential drawdown authority,” as well as $6.3 billion for the Defense Department's Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative and $4.65 billion in foreign military financing, according to a recent Congressional Research Service report.