The Biden administration has unveiled a new $500 million military aid package to support Ukraine in its ongoing fight against Russia’s invasion.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the package on Dec. 12, with the latest tranche representing the 72nd drawdown from U.S. Department of Defense stockpiles.
It follows $988 million in military support announced earlier this month through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) and a $725 million package under the presidential drawdown authority (PDA).
Blinken said the latest package is part of President Joe Biden’s pledge to surge as much military aid as possible to ensure Ukraine can continue to repel Russian aggression through 2025.
“As part of the surge in security assistance that President Biden announced on September 26, the United States is providing another significant package of urgently needed weapons and equipment to our Ukrainian partners as they defend against Russia’s ongoing attacks,” Blinken said in a statement.
Key items in the newly announced package include ammunition for High-Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARSs), 155mm and 105mm artillery shells, High-speed Anti-Radiation Missiles (HARMs), and counter-drone munitions.
The aid also includes Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles, High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs), Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems, and Tube-launched, Optically-guided, Wire-tracked (TOW) missiles. Additional equipment includes protective gear for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats.
Blinken’s announcement comes amid intensified scrutiny of U.S. policy on Ukraine. President-elect Donald Trump has strongly advocated for a cease-fire while also criticizing the Biden administration for giving Ukraine the green light to use long-range missiles against targets deeper inside Russia.
In an interview with Time magazine, Trump called the decision to allow Ukraine to use Western-supplied missiles to hit Russia a “very big mistake,” arguing it risks escalating the conflict. He highlighted the devastating toll on both Russian and Ukrainian forces, calling for an urgent resolution to the war.
“The numbers of dead young soldiers lying on fields all over the place are staggering,” Trump said. “It’s crazy what’s taking place.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) recently dismissed the possibility of tying additional Ukraine aid to an expected congressional stopgap spending bill after reports emerged that Biden had urged Congress to pass the extra funding.
Johnson said that any additional aid to Ukraine should be decided by the incoming commander-in-chief, with Trump set to take the oath of office on Jan. 20, 2025.
Meanwhile, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Thursday that Biden would continue providing Kyiv with additional aid packages while still in office.
“As the president made clear, we’re going to continue to provide additional packages right up until the end of this administration,” Kirby said.
Kirby declined to comment on Trump’s remarks that it was a “foolish decision” to allow Ukraine to fire Western-supplied missiles deep into Russia. However, he reiterated that Biden’s policy and guidance has been to “do everything we can” to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position on the battlefield and give it “the most leverage possible” in peace negotiations.
From The Epoch Times
