The main part of the new weapons aid for Ukraine is in US Army warehouses in Germany and Poland. Literally within days, the first deliveries should reach the front in Ukraine, say experts.
The decision in the Senate was adopted by a large majority: with 79 votes "for" against 18 "against". The total amount of aid is 61 billion dollars (57 billion euros).
Now things are expected to happen quickly: President Joe Biden has announced that Ukraine should receive new arms shipments as early as this week. According to the "New York Times" they will include US military supplies that are already stored in Germany and can be transported to Ukraine by train in the shortest possible time. CNN also reported that the bulk of these weapons are already in warehouses in Germany and Poland.
Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder, quoted by ARD, announced even before the vote in the Senate that the initial deliveries would consist mainly of air defense systems and artillery ammunition. According to him, it will take several days for them to reach the front.
More details on the expected arms deliveries to Ukraine are provided by Reuters. Citing two senior U.S. officials, the agency said the new package would include vehicles, ammunition for the Stinger man-portable anti-aircraft missile system, additional ammunition for the High Mobility Missile Artillery Systems (HIMARS), 155 mm artillery shells, anti-tank ammunition for TOW and Javelin and other weapons that can be used immediately on the battlefield.
How will the new aid to Ukraine affect the course of the war?
"It is not too late for Ukraine. "The six-month delay in military aid resulted in significantly more Ukrainian casualties, including civilians," said former US ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst, referring to the massive Russian airstrikes. But the Ukrainian front is largely contained.
"From now on, if we maintain the level of support for Ukraine that we had before this delay, Ukraine can win. Especially if the US government has the courage to supply Ukraine with even longer-range weapons, this victory will come sooner," Herbst is convinced.