Biden administration rushes to deliver $6 billion to Ukraine before Trump takes office

Europe, News, US November 12, 2024 , by IRIA No Comments

3 minute read

U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration is pushing to allocate approximately $6 billion in additional aid to Ukraine within the next two months, aiming to support Kyiv’s ongoing defense efforts before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

According to Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh, the package includes $4 billion from the Presidential Drawdown Authority, which expedites weapons delivery by using existing U.S. stockpiles. Another $2 billion will come through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which requires procurement of new equipment.

This rush to secure aid highlights concerns over future U.S. support for Ukraine. The United States President-elect Donald Trump has frequently voiced reservations about the aid’s volume and purpose, though he did not oppose Congress’s $61 billion Ukraine aid package in April.

Despite Singh’s emphasis on bipartisan support for Ukraine, Vice President-elect JD Vance and some Republican legislators have signaled reluctance toward continued aid. Singh asserted, “Republicans and Democrats have made commitments in votes and money to Ukraine,” stressing the bipartisan nature of past support.

U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan also addressed the matter and stated that the priority is to “put Ukraine in the strongest possible position on the battlefield.” Biden plans to discuss his perspective on the situation directly with Trump, noting the stakes involved in sustaining international support for Ukraine.

Trump has indicated he might broker an end to the war, suggesting a peace deal that could require Kyiv to concede territory to Russia. Sullivan commented that the administration aims to ensure Ukraine remains strategically and diplomatically fortified as the situation evolves.

Trump winsUS presidential election 2024 — ^{Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump takes the stage with his wife Melania, his son Eric, and his daughter-in-law Lara, following early results from the 2024 U.S. presidential election in West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., November 6, 2024. (Image Credit: Reuters/Brendan McDermid)}

In some recent reports by U.S.-based media outlets, Donald Trump has already engaged in brokering a deal with the Russian leadership to put an end to the ongoing Ukraine war. According to some sources, Trump held a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and advised him not to escalate the situation in Ukraine. However, Russia has dismissed the reports of calls between Trump and Putin as Kremlin spokesperson Dimitry Peskov said that no such call had taken place between Putin and Trump.

“This is completely untrue. This is pure fiction, it’s just false information. “There was no conversation,” Peskov told reporters in Moscow.

As Trump prepares to take charge of the White House, the Pentagon remains focused on timely deliveries, particularly of air defense and munitions requested by Ukraine in recent months. Although Singh noted that some deliveries could extend beyond January 20, she expressed confidence in the Pentagon’s procedures and oversight for aid.

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the United States has provided Ukraine with more than $59.5 billion in critical assistance including air defense, artillery, armored vehicles, and other critical munitions.

In addition, the U.S.-led Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which is a coalition of about 50 countries committed to Ukraine’s defense, has surged defense support for Ukraine to help its frontline defenders and organized standing capability coalitions committed to Ukraine’s long-term defense against Russian forces.

U.S. President Biden launched the Ukraine Compact at an event with 32 allies and partners as part of our commitment to Ukraine’s long term security — *^{U.S. President Biden launched the Ukraine Compact at an event with 32 allies and partners as part of the commitment to Ukraine’s long-term security. (Image Credit: X/@ZelenskyyUa)}*

According to the U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, the Russian forces have suffered hundreds of thousands of casualties since the start of the war and squandered more than $200 billion to sustain its invasion.

Austin noted during his visit to Kyiv last month, “Russia has failed to achieve any of its strategic objectives and continues to incur heavy costs,” adding that “[Ukrainian] President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy didn’t flee. Kyiv didn’t fall. And Ukraine didn’t fold… Ukraine stands unbowed — and strengthened.”