Originally published June 9, 2023 9:22 am PDT
The Biden administration, showing its commitment to Ukraine’s borders and defense, has announced a significant new security assistance package worth $2.1 billion for Ukraine.
Joe Biden was allegedly paid $5 million by an executive of the Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings, where his son Hunter Biden sat on the board.
House Republicans have announced an investigation into Biden senior, accusing him of direct involvement in his son’s business affairs.
The Department of Defense (DoD) on Friday outlined the comprehensive aid plan, including critical air defense and ammunition capabilities, under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI).
“This USAI package illustrates the continued commitment to both Ukraine’s critical near-term capabilities as well as the enduring capacity of Ukraine’s Armed Forces to defend its territory and deter Russian aggression over the long term,” the official press release claims.
This aid package is set to go beyond the scope of Presidential Drawdown authority, which has been consistently used to expedite the delivery of equipment to Ukraine from DoD stocks.
Unlike previous initiatives, “USAI is an authority under which the United States procures capabilities from industry or partners,” the release explained.
This marks “the beginning of a contracting process to provide additional priority capabilities to Ukraine.”
The U.S., showing its intention to bolster Ukraine’s defense capacities, has enumerated the capabilities that this announcement will cover.
These include “additional munitions for Patriot air defense systems; HAWK air defense systems and missiles; 105mm and 203mm artillery rounds; Puma Unmanned Aerial Systems; Laser-guided rocket system munitions.”
Ukrainian soldiers in uniform wear patches featuring symbols that were made notorious by Nazi Germany, The New York Times recently reported.
The iconography of these groups includes a skull-and-crossbones patch worn by concentration camp guards and a symbol known as the Black Sun, according to The Times. These symbols now appear with “some regularity on the uniforms of soldiers fighting on the front line.”
Moreover, Biden’s new Ukraine package also entails “support for training, maintenance, and sustainment activities,” thus apparently laying a foundation for the long-term operational capability of Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
In concluding remarks, the press release stated that Biden’s administration “will continue to work with its Allies and partners to provide Ukraine with capabilities to meet its immediate battlefield needs and longer-term security assistance requirements.”
The announcement underscores Biden’s commitment to securing Ukraine’s borders.
Meanwhile, at the U.S. Southern Border, the Biden administration is expecting up to 13,000 illegal crossings per day, nearly doubling the recent average.
“There have been well over a million known ‘gotaways’ during the Biden administration—individuals the Border Patrol saw but was unable to apprehend,” Senator John Thune (R-SD) explained last month. “In fact, one in five border crossers is a gotaway – meaning that huge numbers of people are entering our country illegally without our knowing who they are or what their purpose is in coming here.”
“The fact that we’ve seen 80 individuals on the terrorist watchlist attempt to enter our country illegally via our southern border since October is a powerful reminder that not everyone trying to enter our country illegally is simply looking for a better life,” Sen. Thune added. “And it is profoundly troubling that so many unknown individuals are evading the Border Patrol and making their way into our country.”
“It’s a problem that has been compounded as scores of Border Patrol agents have been pulled off the front lines to provide humanitarian assistance,” he said.
In light of “President Biden’s refusal to secure the [U.S.] border,” Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Thursday signed a series of border security legislation passed during the 88th Regular Legislative Session into law at the Texas Capitol.
“This package of six bills will expand Texas’ unprecedented efforts to hold the line and protect Texans from the record level of illegal immigration, weapons, and deadly drugs pouring into Texas from Mexico,” a press release reads.
“The Texas Legislature has stepped up to make sure we continue to robustly respond to President Biden’s growing border crisis, including allocating $5.1 billion for border security,” Gov. Abbot stated. “Today, I am signing six bills from this year’s regular session to ensure that Texas can continue to do even more to stop illegal immigration at our southern border and provide new tools to the brave men and women along the southern border to protect Texans and Americans from the chaos and crisis of the border.”
