WASHINGTON — On Monday, President Joe Biden announced that the United States will dispatch nearly $2.5 billion in additional military aid to Ukraine. This move comes as his administration aims to allocate all available resources to assist Kyiv in its ongoing conflict with Russia before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
The new aid package includes $1.25 billion in presidential drawdown authority, which enables the military to quickly utilize existing stockpiles, ensuring that weapons reach the battlefield more promptly. Additionally, it features $1.22 billion earmarked for longer-term weapons contracts through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI).
Biden emphasized that all available USAI funds have been allocated and committed to using the remaining drawdown resources before his term concludes.
“I have instructed my administration to expedite as much support to Ukraine as swiftly as possible,” Biden stated. “Under my guidance, the United States will tirelessly work to bolster Ukraine’s position in this conflict for the remainder of my time in office.”
Alongside military support, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen revealed that the U.S. will also be providing $3.4 billion in economic assistance to Ukraine. This funding is intended to support essential government services amidst the ongoing war, covering salaries for civilian government employees, educators, healthcare workers, and first responders.
This latest military aid arrives as Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in recent days. Despite this, Ukraine has reported successfully intercepting a considerable number of missiles and drones. The fighting continues fiercely around the Kursk region near the Russian border, where Moscow has deployed thousands of North Korean troops to reclaim lost territory.
The Biden administration is eager to deliver weapons to Ukraine to strengthen its negotiating stance ahead of Trump’s inauguration on January 20. Trump has suggested a potential negotiated settlement between Ukraine and Russia and has expressed admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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Many leaders in the U.S. and Europe are apprehensive that Trump’s approach to a settlement could lead to an unfavorable deal for Ukraine. There are concerns about whether he will fully support Ukraine with the military funding previously authorized by Congress.
The weapons being drawn from existing U.S. stockpiles in this latest package include counter-drone munitions, air defense systems, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds, air-to-ground munitions, anti-armor weapons, tube-launched missiles, fragmentation grenades, and various other items and spare parts.
With this announcement, the U.S. has now contributed over $65 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion began in February 2022.
