Biden approves an additional $1.1 billion in security assistance for Ukraine

Ukrainian troops fire with surface-to-surface rockets MLRS towards Russian positions at a front line in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas on June 7, 2022.

More security assistance for Ukraine was announced by the Biden administration on Wednesday.

referendums held in four Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine that are backed by Russian President Vladimir Putin led to the announcement of the next aid package. The votes are to determine if Kherson should join Russia. They were accused of being a plan by Putin to pave the way for Moscow to announce it has annexed more of Ukraine.

The White House said earlier this week that the U.S. would not acknowledge the results of the referendum.

The latest U.S. security package includes 18 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, as well as munitions for those systems, 150 armored Multipurpose Vehicles, 150 tactical vehicles to tow weapons, 40 trucks and 80 trailers to transport heavy equipment, and two radars for Unmanned Aerial Systems.

The latest security assistance package is authorized through the USAI, which uses funds appropriated by Congress.

America's defense industry is funded by the USAI.

USAI packages can take months or years to deliver depending on the defense contracting process, according to the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy.

Refugees and trained Ukrainian forces have been taken in by NATO.