Thread by @jseldin

BREAKING: US announces new, $270 million security package for #Ukraine, per @WHNSC's John Kirby

Includes 4 more #HIMARS "which the #Ukrainians have been using very effectively", 36k rounds of artillery ammo, some anti-armor systems

Also includes 580 #PhoenixGhost drones

"We'll have more packages of aid [for #Ukraine] to announce in the weeks and months to come" per @WHNSC's John Kirby

White House praises grain deal signed Friday but cautions "success of course is going to depend on #Russia's compliance w/the agreement" per @WHNSC's John Kirby

"We're hopeful that this [grain] deal is going to make a difference" per @WHNSC's John Kirby but...

"We've sadly come to see in many instances... #Russia's word is never good enough on its face"

#Ukrainian have "basically 20" MLRS - 16 HIMARS from US and others from other allies, per @WHNSC's John Kirby

"We remain deeply concerned by #Turkey's threat" to conduct operation in northern #Syria, per @WHNSC's John Kirby

Says it would "basically be destabilizing" & that those concerns have been shared w/Turkish officials

US fighter jets to #Ukraine?

@DeptofDefense "is making some preliminary explorations into the feasibility of potentially providing fighter aircraft to the #Ukrainians" per @WHNSC's John Kirby

US jets maybe going to #Ukraine-"It's not going to be something that they're going to be able to execute immediately or even in the short term" per @WHNSC's Kirby

"Integrating &operating any kind of aircraft especially an advanced fighter aircraft...that's a difficult endeavor"

"What DoD's looking at are US aircraft not the ex-Soviet aircraft" per Kirby, stressing it is "exploratory"

"This is not something that's going to happen any time soon" he adds