President Joe Biden mentioned Monday that the USA will ship almost $2.5 billion extra in weapons to Ukraine as his administration works shortly to spend all the cash it has accessible to assist Kyiv battle off Russia earlier than President-elect Donald Trump takes workplace.
The package deal contains $1.25 billion in presidential drawdown authority, which permits the army to tug present inventory from its cabinets and get weapons to the battlefield quicker. It additionally has $1.22 billion in longer-term weapons packages to be placed on contract by means of the separate Ukraine Safety Help Initiative, or USAI.
Biden mentioned all longer-term USAI funds have now been spent and that he seeks to totally use all of the remaining drawdown cash earlier than leaving workplace.
“I’ve directed my administration to proceed surging as a lot help to Ukraine as shortly as attainable,” Biden mentioned in a press release. “At my path, the USA will proceed to work relentlessly to strengthen Ukraine’s place on this battle over the rest of my time in workplace.”
Along with the weapons help, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen introduced Monday that the U.S. can also be offering $3.4 billion in financial help to Ukraine to assist pay for important authorities companies throughout its ongoing battle in opposition to Russia. The cash pays salaries for civilian authorities and college staff, well being care employees and first responders.
The brand new army help comes as Russia has launched a barrage of assaults in opposition to Ukraine’s energy services in current days, though Ukraine has mentioned it intercepted a big variety of the missiles and drones. Russian and Ukrainian forces are additionally nonetheless in a bitter battle across the Russian border area of Kursk, the place Moscow has despatched 1000’s of North Korean troops to assist reclaim territory taken by Ukraine.
The Biden administration is pushing to get weapons into Ukraine to provide Kyiv the strongest negotiating place attainable earlier than Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20. Trump has talked about getting some sort of negotiated settlement between Ukraine and Russia and has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Many U.S. and European leaders are involved that Trump’s discuss of a settlement would possibly end in a poor deal for Ukraine, they usually fear that he received’t present Ukraine with all of the weapons funding authorized by Congress.
The weapons programs being pulled from present stockpiles by means of this newest weapons package deal embrace counter-unmanned aerial programs munitions, air protection munitions, ammunition for Excessive Mobility Artillery Rocket Programs (HIMARS), 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition, air-to-ground munitions, anti-armor programs, tube-launched missiles, fragmentation grenades and different gadgets and spare elements.
Together with Monday’s announcement, the U.S. has offered greater than $65 billion in safety help to Ukraine since Russia invaded its neighbor in February 2022.
Tara Copp is a Pentagon correspondent for the Related Press. She was beforehand Pentagon bureau chief for Sightline Media Group.
