US and Germany to co-ordinate weapons shipments to Ukraine

Washington and Berlin express importance of aiding Kyiv for as long as needed

American soldiers drive a Bradley fighting vehicle during a joint exercise with Syrian Democratic Forces in north-eastern Syria in 2021. AP

A new US weapons package for Ukraine was announced on Wednesday in co-ordination with Berlin.

President Joe Biden said that he intends to send about 50 Bradley Fighting Vehicles to Ukraine to help fight Russia's invasion, with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz saying he would send military equipment as well.

In a joint statement, Mr Biden and Mr Scholz expressed the importance of continuing “to provide the necessary financial, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support to Ukraine for as long as needed”.

“To this end, the United States intends to supply Ukraine with Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles, and Germany intends to provide Ukraine with Marder Infantry Fighting Vehicles,” the statement continued.

“Both countries plan to train Ukrainian forces on the respective systems.”

Full details of the latest security package for Ukraine were expected to be unveiled on Friday.

The aid — totalling about $2.85 billion — is the largest in a series of packages of military equipment that the Pentagon has pulled from its stockpiles to send to Ukraine.

It is aimed at getting as many supplies to Ukrainian forces as possible during the winter months, before spring sets in and an expected increase in fighting begins.

The Bradley is an armoured vehicle with a powerful gun and has been used as a staple by the US Army to carry troops around battlefields since the mid-1980s.

Late last month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the US Congress that the tens of billions of dollars in aid it had approved to help Ukraine combat the Russian invasion was not charity, but an investment in global security.

The US has already sent about $21.3 billion in security assistance to Kyiv as Europe's biggest land conflict since 1945 grinds on, killing tens of thousands.

Ukraine has also repeatedly asked for Germany's Leopard 2 battle tanks in its fight against Russia.

Ukraine latest — in pictures

Agencies contributed to this report