WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden stated Monday that america will ship almost $2.5 billion extra in weapons to Ukraine as his administration works rapidly to spend all the cash it has out there to assist Kyiv combat off Russia earlier than President-elect Donald Trump takes workplace. The bundle contains $1.25 billion in presidential drawdown authority, which permits the navy to drag current inventory from its cabinets and will get weapons to the battlefield quicker.
It additionally has $1.22 billion in longer-term weapons packages to be placed on contract by way of the separate Ukraine Safety Help Initiative, or USAI. Biden stated all longer-term USAI funds have now been spent and pledged to make use of 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 rapidly as doable,” Biden stated in an announcement.
“At my path, america will proceed to work relentlessly to strengthen Ukraine’s place on this struggle over the rest of my time in workplace.” The brand new assist comes as Russia has launched a barrage of assaults towards Ukraine’s energy services in latest days, though Ukraine has stated it intercepted a major 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 doable earlier than Trump’s inauguration on January 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 speak of a settlement would possibly end in a poor deal for Ukraine, and so they fear that he received’t present Ukraine with all of the weapons funding authorized by Congress.
The weapons programs being pulled from current stockpiles by way of this newest weapons bundle 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 components. 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.
