President Biden said Thursday the US is sending another $800 million in military aid to Ukraine, vowing that Washington would “speak softly and carry a large Javelin” — modifying Teddy Roosevelt’s famous slogan to refer to the anti-tank weapons used to devastating effect by Kyiv’s forces.

The Pentagon confirmed the package would include 72 155-millimeter Howitzers, 72 vehicles to tow the Howitzers and 144,000 artillery rounds. More than 121 tactical drones will also be sent to Ukraine, along with field equipment and spare parts.  

Biden said the latest round of aid would assist the Ukrainian military as it fights off a fresh Russian offensive in the east of the country and would include “artillery weapons, dozens of howitzers, and 144,000 rounds of ammunition to go with those howitzers.”

“We won’t always be able to advertise everything we — that our partners are doing to support Ukraine in its fight for freedom, but to modernize Teddy Roosevelt’s famous advice: Sometimes we will speak softly and carry a large Javelin because we’re sending a lot of those in as well,” the president said.

Moments before his remarks, Biden met privately with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal at the White House to discuss US assistance to defend the eastern regions of Ukraine after Russian troops pulled back from areas around Kyiv in the north.

“These past weeks have seen the terrible human cost of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s ambition for conquest and control,” Biden said. “Approximately two-thirds — two-thirds — of all Ukrainian children had been displaced in their home. More than 5 million Ukrainians have fled their country. It’s an absolute outrage.”

Biden also announced a new ban on Russian ships docking in the US and unfurled a new refugee initiative for Ukrainians so that they “need not go through our southern border.”

“As we approach the two-month mark, here’s what we do know: Putin has failed to achieve his grand ambitions on the battlefield. After weeks of shelling of Kyiv, Kyiv still stands. President Zelensky and his democratically elected government still remain in power, and Ukrainian Armed Forces joined by many brave Ukrainian civilians have thwarted Russia’s conquest of their country,” Biden said.

Thursday’s announcement comes on the heels of an $800 million aid package last week that included Mi-17 helicopters originally meant for the Afghan army.

Bipartisan legislation last month authorized $13.6 billion in Ukraine aid, but Biden said Thursday that more will be needed.

“With this latest disbursement, I’ve almost exhausted the drawdown authority I have that Congress authorized for Ukraine in a bipartisan spending bill last month,” Biden said. “In order to sustain Ukraine for the duration of this fight, next week I’m going to have to be sending to Congress a supplemental budget request to keep weapons and ammunition flowing without interruption.”

Biden also announced Thursday another $500 million in financial aid to Ukraine’s government — doubling the US donation since the war started on Feb. 24.

“This is money the government can help us to stabilize their economy, to support communities that have been devastated by the Russian onslaught and pay the brave workers that continue to provide essential services,” Biden said.

The latest US arms transfer comes as Russian troops near complete control of Mariupol, a city that if conquered would give Russia territorial control of an uninterrupted land route from mainland Russia to Crimea, which the Kremlin annexed in 2014.

“They’ve launched and refocused their campaign to seize new territory in eastern Ukraine. And we’re in a critical window now — of time — where they’re going to set the stage for the next phase of this war,” Biden said.

“The United States and our allies and partners are moving as fast as possible to continue to provide Ukraine the forces that they need — the weapons they need, excuse me — the equipment they need, their forces need to defend their nation.”

Some US troops are preparing to train Ukrainian forces to use howitzer artillery systems. But Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters Tuesday that the training had yet to begin.

“There is a plan in place and we’re beginning to execute that plan to get the training done,” Kirby said. “Again, it will be for a daily limited amount of Ukrainian trainers that will then go in and train their colleagues. It will be outside of the country.”

Biden told reporters Tuesday that he doesn’t know if he will visit Ukraine as other NATO leaders — including UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson — made the trip in a show of support for President Volodymyr Zelesnky against Russia’s invasion.