America stands firmly with Ukraine amid the ongoing war with Russia. The US has announced a $400 million security assistance package for Ukraine. Under this, the Pentagon will provide the Ukrainian army with T-72 tanks and HAWK, a surface-to-air missile. Air defense and armor capability are prominent in the aid list being provided to Ukraine. The US aid package for Ukraine also includes 1,100 Phoenix Ghost drones and 40 armored boats. Also, funding will be provided to renovate 250 M1117 armored vehicles.
It is believed that this could make the Ukrainian military's retaliatory attacks on Russia even more deadly. At the same time, Kyiv has also demanded modern tanks such as the German Leopard or US Abrams. Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said, "Tanks are coming from the defense industry of the Czech Republic, and America is planning to refurbish 45 of them and paying for it. At the same time, the Government of the Netherlands remains with our commitment to 90 T-72s.
T-72s are Soviet-era tanks that have been made more advanced. He said some would be ready by the end of December, and the rest would be delivered in 2023. The Deputy Press Secretary was asked why Ukraine is not being given highly modern tanks. He said there is a problem with the new tanks regarding usage and price. "These are tanks that Ukrainian soldiers can easily use on the battlefield," he said. Also, new battle tanks are much more expensive. At the same time, through HAWK, the Ukrainian army will be able to counter Russian drones and missiles.