Biden announces new $800 million round of military aid to Ukraine

President Biden announced Thursday the U.S. will provide another round of security assistance to Ukraine worth roughly $800 million, as the war with Russia enters in next phrase with Russian forces continuing their large-scale offensive to take control of Ukraine's east.

The equipment will "further augment Ukraine's ability to fight in the east in the Donbas region," the president told reporters. The Defense Department said the package includes 72 155mm howitzers, 144,000 artillery rounds, 72 tactical vehicles to tow the howitzers and 121 unmanned aerial drone systems. 

"We won't always be able to advertise everything that our partners are doing to support Ukraine in its fight for freedom, but to modernize Teddy Roosevelt's famous advice, sometimes we will speak softly and carry a large Javelin, because we're sending a lot of those in as well," he said, referring to anti-tank weapons the U.S. has provided to Ukraine to destroy Russian vehicles. "But we're not sitting on the funding that Congress has provided for Ukraine. We're sending it directly to the front lines of freedom to the fear less and skilled Ukrainian fighters who are standing in the breach." 

The president said he would ask Congress to pass a supplemental bill to provide more funding for Ukraine when lawmakers return to Washington next week.