IRIA News

4 minute read

U.S. President Joe Biden unveiled a new aid package for Ukraine totaling nearly $2.5 billion in military support, as his administration accelerates efforts to assist Kyiv in its ongoing battle against Russia.

The announcement comes as the Biden administration races to maximize its support for Ukraine before President-elect Donald Trump assumes office on January 20.

The new package consists of $1.25 billion in Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), which allows the U.S. military to quickly transfer existing weapons from American stockpiles directly to Ukraine’s armed forces. Additionally, $1.22 billion will be allocated to the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), a longer-term program that enables the U.S. to procure weapons from contractors and manufacturers for future delivery.

President Biden emphasized the urgency of continuing U.S. support for Ukraine in a statement. “I’ve directed my administration to continue surging as much assistance to Ukraine as quickly as possible,” Biden said. “At my direction, the United States will continue to work relentlessly to strengthen Ukraine’s position in this war over the remainder of my time in office.”

This new tranche of military assistance is intended to bolster Ukraine’s defense capabilities as the war with Russia enters its third year. The weapons being sent include air defense munitions, counter-unmanned aerial systems munitions, ammunition for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), and various types of artillery rounds.

Today, I visited one of our combat brigades at the Zaporizhzhia frontline, which uses American High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS. Our guys are very open about these systems, and they are extremely grateful to the United States for providing them. HIMARS are a… pic.twitter.com/3BvPyZAJgj

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 12, 2024

The package also includes air-to-ground munitions, anti-armor systems, tube-launched missiles, fragmentation grenades, and spare parts. The focus is on providing Ukraine with the tools it needs to defend against Russian aerial and missile threats, as well as to maintain its artillery and anti-armor capabilities.

In addition to the military aid, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen announced a $3.4 billion economic assistance package aimed at helping Ukraine sustain essential government functions during the war. This economic support is crucial for ensuring that Ukraine can continue to provide salaries for civilian government employees, healthcare workers, school staff, and first responders, all of whom are vital to the country’s stability amid the ongoing conflict.

The U.S. has provided more than $65 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion began in February 2022. The decision to provide further military and economic aid comes as Russia intensifies its attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure, particularly its energy grid.

Recent Russian missile and drone strikes have targeted Ukraine’s power facilities, but Ukrainian forces have claimed to have intercepted a significant number of the incoming projectiles. Despite the setbacks, the situation remains dire, with the fighting continuing to escalate along the border region of Kursk, where Russian forces, bolstered by thousands of North Korean troops, have been attempting to reclaim territory taken by Ukrainian forces.

The Biden administration is working quickly to deliver as much support as possible to Ukraine, hoping to strengthen Kyiv’s position in the war before Donald Trump takes office. Trump, who has expressed admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, has suggested that he would seek a negotiated settlement between Ukraine and Russia, raising concerns among U.S. and European leaders about the potential for a peace agreement that could disadvantage Ukraine. There are also worries that Trump may not continue to provide the full range of military aid that has been approved by Congress.

European leaders and U.S. officials are particularly concerned about Trump’s rhetoric regarding Russia and his past statements praising Putin. Given these concerns, the Biden administration is working to ensure that the remaining funds are used to send as much military aid to Ukraine as possible in the coming weeks.

The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has led to significant geopolitical shifts, with many nations now viewing Russia’s actions as a direct threat to global stability. The U.S. and its European allies have rallied behind Ukraine, but with the presidential transition approaching, there are fears about the future of U.S. support. For now, however, Biden’s administration is determined to provide Ukraine with the resources it needs to continue resisting Russian aggression.

As the U.S. accelerates its efforts to supply Ukraine with critical military and economic aid, both Biden and Yellen made it clear that their commitment to Ukraine remains unwavering, at least until the final days of Biden’s presidency. “The United States will continue to work relentlessly to strengthen Ukraine’s position in this war,” Biden reiterated, emphasizing the strategic importance of this continued support.

The delivery of these new weapons and financial resources is just the latest chapter in the U.S.’s ongoing assistance to Ukraine, a partnership that has been instrumental in Kyiv’s ability to resist Russia’s invasion and maintain its sovereignty amidst one of the most significant military conflicts in Europe since World War II.