On Monday, President Biden announced an additional nearly $2.5 billion in military aid for Ukraine, utilizing all available funds before the next presidential term begins.
This package includes expedited weapon deliveries from existing stockpiles, along with $1.22 billion allocated to longer-term procurements through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI).
Biden confirmed the depletion of existing USAI funds and committed to continued support for Ukraine.
“I’ve directed my administration to continue surging as much assistance to Ukraine as quickly as possible,” Biden stated. “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.”
Concurrently, Treasury Secretary Yellen announced $3.4 billion in economic aid to support essential Ukrainian government services, including salaries for public sector employees and first responders.
This military aid follows recent intensified Russian missile attacks, although Ukraine reports significant interceptions. Fighting continues intensely near the Russian border region, where Russia has deployed substantial reinforcements.
The Biden administration aims to bolster Ukraine’s negotiating position before the upcoming presidential inauguration. Concerns exist regarding potential concessions from the incoming administration, potentially undermining the effectiveness of previous Congressional allocations.
The immediate military aid includes counter-unmanned aerial systems munitions, air defense munitions, HIMARS ammunition, 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition, air-to-ground munitions, anti-armor systems, tube-launched missiles, fragmentation grenades, and spare parts.
This latest announcement brings total U.S. security assistance to Ukraine to over $65 billion since the beginning of the Russian invasion in February 2022.
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