Biden announces US$2.5 billion in fresh military aid to Ukraine
This includes US$1.25 billion in military aid drawn from US stockpiles and a US$1.22 billion Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative package
US PRESIDENT Joe Biden announced US$2.5 billion in additional security assistance for Ukraine on Monday (Dec 30) as he uses his final weeks in office to surge military aid to Kyiv before President-elect Donald Trump takes power.
“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,” Biden said in a statement.
Biden’s announcement includes US$1.25 billion in military aid drawn from US stockpiles and a US$1.22 billion Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) package, the final USAI package of Biden’s time in office.
Under USAI, military equipment is procured from the defence industry or partners, rather than drawn from American stocks, meaning it can take months or years to arrive on the battlefield.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is approaching the three-year mark and recently the Russians have used North Korean troops to bolster their fighting position.
North Korean forces are experiencing mass casualties on the front lines of Russia’s war against Ukraine, with 1,000 of their troops killed or wounded in the last week alone in Russia’s Kursk region, White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Friday.
BT in your inbox
Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox.
In a statement, Biden said the new assistance will provide Ukraine with “an immediate influx of capabilities that it continues to use to great effect on the battlefield and longer-term supplies of air defence, artillery, and other critical weapons systems.”
Nearly three years into the war, Washington has committed US$175 billion in total aid for Ukraine, but it is uncertain if the aid will continue at that pace under Trump, who replaces Biden on Jan 20. Trump has said he wants to bring the war to a swift end. During the presidential election campaign, Trump questioned the level of US involvement in the conflict, suggesting European allies should bear more of the financial burden.
Some of his fellow Republicans – who will control both the House of Representatives and Senate starting next month – have also cooled on sending more aid to Kyiv.
Biden said the Defence Department is in the process of delivering hundreds of thousands of artillery rounds, thousands of rockets, and hundreds of armoured vehicles “which will strengthen Ukraine’s hand as it heads into the winter.”
The US has also sent US$3.4 billion in additional budget aid to Ukraine, giving the war-torn country critical resources amid intensifying Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Monday.
Yellen said in a statement the direct budget assistance, provided in coordination with the US Agency for International Development and the State Department, marked the final disbursement under the 2024 Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act.
A US official said the funding brings the total in US budget aid to Ukraine to just over US$30 billion since Russia’s invasion in February 2022. Most of those funds are used to keep Ukraine’s government running by paying salaries to teachers and other state employees. REUTERS
Share with us your feedback on BT's products and services
