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US to announce $1.2bn in military aid for Ukraine – source

US to announce $1.2bn in military aid for Ukraine – source
Ukrainian troops live fire the AS90 during their final training, on March 24, 2023 in South West, England. Ukrainian artillery recruits come to the end of their training on AS90 155mm self-propelled gun. Ukrainian personnel live-firing the guns for the first time, under the supervision of their British Army instructors, at a British Army training facility. Training on the AS90 is happening at a specialist facility under the control of the Royal School of Artillery and is conducted by officers and soldiers of the Royal Regiment of Artillery. The program is part of the UK's enduring commitment to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia's unprovoked invasion. (Photo by Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images) (Photo by Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, May 8 (Reuters) - The US plans as soon as Tuesday to announce a new $1.2bn military aid package for Ukraine that will include air defence systems, ammunition and funds for training, a US official said.

By Mike Stone

Ukraine will receive 155-mm Howitzer ammunition, counter-drone ammunition, and funding for satellite imagery as well as various types of training, said the official.

The package is paid from Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) funding which allows President Joe Biden’s administration to buy weapons from industry rather than pull from U.S. weapons stocks.

The military aid, first reported by the Associated Press, comes as Congress and the White House debate ways to avoid a default on the nation’s debt, with many Republicans demanding sharp cuts in domestic spending in exchange for lifting the debt limit.

However, members of both parties insist they support continued aid for Ukraine including top Republicans House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Mitch McConnell, the top Republican in the Senate.

(Reporting by Mike Stone; Editing by Michael Perry)

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