Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby conducts a news briefing on February 1, 2022 in Arlington, Virginia. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images
The United States will send an additional $550 million in security assistance to Ukraine, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on Monday.
Driving the news: The latest package, which the Biden administration will authorize later in the day, will include more ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and 155 mm artillery systems, Kirby told reporters at a White House briefing.
- With this, the Biden administration will have sent more than $8 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia first invaded its neighbor in late February, Kirby added.
More details: Kirby also welcomed the departure of the first ship from the port of Odessa in Ukraine since Russia began its blockade. Since the war began in February, Russia has blockaded Ukraine's ports in the Black Sea, contributing to a global food crisis.
- "We obviously welcome this important step, and we hope to see more ships depart in the coming days to travel onward to world markets with agricultural products," Kirby said.
- "We urge Russia to meet its commitments under this new arrangement, including by facilitating unimpeded exports of agricultural products from Black Sea ports in order to ease the food insecurity around the world," he added.