The Biden administration on Thursday said it will send another round of military assistance to Ukraine, including dozens of Bradley Fighting Vehicles, to help combat Russia's ongoing invasion.
The announcement was made in conjunction with Germany, which plans to send Marder Infantry Fighting Vehicles.
The Bradleys are part of an overall military aid package to be announced Friday worth $3.85 billion, according to a person familiar with the deal who spoke with Politico.
So far this year, the U.S. has committed more than $48 billion in security assistance to Ukraine.
The Bradley Fighting Vehicle is a tracked armored combat vehicle that carries a turret-mounted machine gun. The decision to provide the vehicles could pave the way for the White House to give Ukraine the more powerful, mobile and accurate Western tanks that have longer range compared with the old Soviet tanks.
"There is no rational reason why Ukraine has not yet been supplied with Western tanks," Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday.
President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz "expressed their common determination to continue to provide the necessary financial, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support to Ukraine for as long as needed," the White House statement said, adding that the countries plan to train Kyiv's forces on the respective systems.
The U.S. and Germany also on Thursday "affirmed their intention to further support Ukraine's urgent requirement for air defense capabilities" in light of Russia's ongoing missile and drone attacks against Ukraine's critical infrastructure.
Humvees, "mine resistant ambush protected vehicles," and a large number of missiles and other ammunition will also be included in the aid package.