EXPLAINER: Why Washington is boosting heavy arms for Ukraine

By ROBERT BURNS
AP National Security Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration’s decision to dramatically ramp up delivery of artillery guns to Ukraine eight weeks into the war signals a deepening American military commitment at a pivotal stage of fighting for the country’s industrial heartland. “We’re in a critical window” now, President Joe Biden said Thursday in announcing he had approved sending Ukraine a new $800 million package of military aid that includes 72 of the U.S. military’s 155mm howitzers, along with 144,000 artillery rounds. Artillery is expected to play a critical role in the unfolding battle for control of the eastern region known as the Donbas.