The Defense Department is again dipping into its own weapon stores to provide Ukraine with more than $2 billion in military firepower in the waning weeks of the Biden administration, announcing a new tranche of aid to Kyiv including air defense weapons, artillery rounds and attack drones.
The latest $1.25 billion package is the 73rd time the Pentagon used the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) to supply Kyiv with military assistance since Russia launched its invasion in February 2022, triggering an ongoing war that has shaken the balance of power in the region.
President-elect Trump and some of his closest advisers have expressed skepticism of the tens of billions of dollars of aid given to Ukraine since the war started, and the Biden administration has been approving new shipments at a vigorous rate ahead of Mr. Trump’s inauguration next month.
“The U.S. is a key ally of Ukraine, providing us with invaluable assistance. Together, we will win,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said Monday in a statement on X.
The Biden administration on Monday also announced a $1.22 billion Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) weapons support package for Kyiv. Unlike a PDA, it won’t be drawn from existing U.S. military supplies.
“The United States continues to work together with some 50 allies and partners through the Ukraine Defense Contact Group and its associated capability coalitions to provide the support Ukraine needs to prevail in its fight against Russian aggression,” the Defense Department said in a statement.
The total package includes munitions for the U.S.-supplied National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), HAWK air defense munitions, ammo for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), and 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds.
“I am grateful to our American partners, the government of the United States, and especially [Defense Secretary] Lloyd Austin for a new military aid package for Ukraine,” Mr. Umerov said.