The United States will provide about USD 1 billion Long-term weapons support from UkraineDefense Secretary Lloyd Austin made the announcement Saturday.
The Biden administration is accelerating the spending of funds approved by the rest of Congress to support Kiev before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. The new package includes drones and HIMARS weaponsFuture military capabilities are funded by the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.
A separate USD 725 million military aid package, announced on Monday, includes counter-drone systems and HIMARS munitions from Pentagon stockpiles for immediate battlefield deployment. Since Russia’s February 2022 invasion, US military aid to Ukraine has exceeded $62 billion.
Austin acknowledged the upcoming transition, saying “the penalties will soon pass”. Ukraine is currently facing Russian aggression, including regular strikes on civilian infrastructure using North Korean troops and intermediate-range ballistic missiles in the Kursk region.
“The engine of our efforts is the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which first met at Ramstein Air Base in Germany in April 2022. And the contact group has helped ensure that Ukraine has what it needs to defend itself—and to build a future force. Further Russian aggression To stop,” he said.
“And I have now convened the Contact Group 24 times. Its other members have committed more than $57 billion in direct security assistance to Ukraine. And as a percentage of GDP, more than a dozen Contact Group members now provide more security assistance to Ukraine than the United States and Together, we helped Ukraine survive an invasion by Europe’s largest military,” he added.
The Biden administration is using all remaining funds from the latest foreign aid bill to bolster Ukraine’s position. At a gathering at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Austin addressed defense officials and lawmakers discussing the administration’s commitment to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, US President-elect Donald Trump met with Ukrainian President Zelensky and French President Macron in Paris during the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral. European leaders are demanding Trump’s continued support for Ukraine, despite previous praise for Putin and criticism of US aid.
