U.S. announces new $225 million military assistance package for Ukraine

President Joe Biden announced a new $225 million aid package for Ukraine on Thursday, which includes a Patriot missile system to strengthen its air defenses against a deadly barrage of Russian airstrikes.

Biden made the announcement during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who called it “strong news” but emphasized that Ukraine also needs U.S. permission to use the long-range missiles it has provided to strike deeper targets inside Russia.

The Patriot air defense system, the second the U.S. has provided to Ukraine, is among several pledges Biden announced this week at the NATO summit. This aid package aims to bolster Ukraine's defenses amid ongoing Russian attacks, including one that hit a children’s hospital in Kyiv this week.

The $225 million package also includes Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), and additional 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds, among other munitions.

Last month, Zelenskyy pleaded for more U.S.-made Patriot systems, arguing that they are crucial for his forces to counter the nearly 3,000 bombs Russia launches into the country each month.