Page 28 - bon-dia-aruba-20220702

A28 u.s. news
Diasabra 2 Juli 2022

US announces $820M in Ukraine aid, including missile systems

(AP) — The U.S. an- dars for Ukraine. Those new
nounced on Friday that it purchases, funded by the
will provide Ukraine with Pentagon's Ukraine Security
$820 million in new mili- Assistance Initiative, require
tary aid, including new weeks at a minimum for de-
surface-to-air missile sys- fense companies to build.
tems and counter-artil- Ukrainians are also being
lery radars to respond to trained to use the newly pro-
Russia's heavy reliance on vided systems.
long-range strikes in the
war. The Pentagon will also pro-
vide additional ammunition
Russia in recent days has for medium-range rocket
launched dozens of missiles systems it provided Ukraine
across Ukraine and pinned in June, known as the High
down Ukrainian forces Mobility Artillery Rocket
with continuous fire for Systems, or HIMARS. The
sometimes hours at a time. ammunition will come from
Ukraine's leaders have pub- the Defense Department's
licly called on Western allies own inventory under what's
to quickly send more ammu- known as drawdown author-
nition and advanced systems ity and will be made available
that will help them narrow to Ukraine more quickly.
the gap in equipment and during the NATO summit announced Friday will take hard to procure. The official This is the 14th package of
manpower. in Madrid. He argued that weeks or months to reach briefed reporters on condi- military weapons and equip-
Russia had already suffered Ukraine. tion of anonymity to discuss ment transferred to Ukraine
All told, the U.S. has com- a blow to its international As part of the new package, military assessments. from Defense Department
mitted more than $8.8 bil- standing and major damage the U.S. will purchase two stocks since August 2021.
lion in weapons and mili- to its economy from Western systems known as NASAMS, The Pentagon will also pro-
tary training to Ukraine, sanctions imposed over the a Norwegian-developed anti- vide the Ukrainians with The war has evolved into a
whose leaders have sought invasion. aircraft system that is used to up to 150,000 rounds of grinding stalemate in which
more help from Western al- The U.S. is giving Ukrai- protect the airspace around 155-millimeter artillery am- both sides are heavily reli-
lies to repel larger and heav- nians "the capacity" so that the White House and Capi- munition. Given the high ant on artillery, according to
ily equipped Russian forces. "they can continue to re- tol in Washington. A senior usage of artillery on both Western officials and ana-
About $7 billion of that aid sist the Russian aggression," defense official told reporters sides, it's unclear how long lysts. While Russia has not
has been announced since Biden said. "And so I don't the NASAMS are intended those new rounds would last. achieved its initial goals of
Russia's February invasion. know how it's going to end, to help Ukraine transition The official declined to say toppling Ukraine's govern-
but it will not end with a away from using Soviet-era how many estimated rounds ment, it is believed to be
"We are going to support Russian defeat of Ukraine in air defense systems that be- Ukraine and Russia are firing making slow progress in
Ukraine as long as it takes," Ukraine." sides being well known to the daily. consolidating control over
President Joe Biden said this Russians have to be repaired And the Pentagon will also the eastern Ukrainian region
week at a press conference Much of the aid formally with spare parts that are buy four counter-artillery ra- known as the Donbas.

Judge won't dismiss parent lawsuit in Gabby Petito slaying

(AP) — A Florida judge The FBI concluded that rie fatally shot himself in the The lawsuit claims the Laun- for Gabby Petito was ongo-
has refused to dismiss a Laundrie strangled Petito, 22 Carlton Reserve swamp after dries concealed that their son ing.
lawsuit in which the par- — with whom he had previ- returning home alone Sept. had confessed to the murder Carroll ruled that a statement
ents of Gabby Petito claim ous domestic quarrels and 1. from investigators and Peti- released by the Laundries' at-
that Brian Laundrie told violence — and that Laund- to's parents while the search torney on Sept. 14 expressing
his parents he had killed hope that Petito would be
her before he returned found may have been "de-
home alone from their signed to create a false hope"
western trip. when they knew she was al-
ready dead.
The decision Thursday by
Sarasota County Circuit The Laundries deny the law-
Judge Hunter Carroll means suit's claims. The lawsuit
the lawsuit can proceed seeks at least $30,000 in dam-
against Christopher and Rob- ages.
ert Laundrie. Petito's parents, Petito had been in regular
Joseph Petito and Nichole contact with her parents and
Schmidt, contend the Laun- posted frequently on social
dries intentionally inflicted media about their travels.
emotional distress in the case. The couple had a regular fol-
lowing before the murder
Petito's disappearance on the mystery took hold.
couple's trip in a converted The FBI says Laundrie sent
van and the subsequent dis- text messages from Petito's
covery of her slain body Sept. cellphone to her parents and
19 in a Wyoming national others in an effort to pretend
park became a national ob- she was still alive. He was
session, with attention later also charged with illegally
shifting to a search for Laun- using one of her credit cards
drie in a Florida nature pre- before his remains were dis-
serve. covered in the Florida nature
preserve.