The United States will deliver nearly $1 billion in additional long-term military support to Ukraine, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced Saturday. The move comes as the Biden administration seeks to utilize the remaining congressionally approved funds for Ukraine before President-elect Donald Trump assumes office next month.
The new $988 million package will include drones and munitions for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), among other assets. While urgently needed, these weapons will be funded through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, a program focused on procuring long-term systems to enhance Ukraine’s future defense capabilities rather than immediate battlefield needs.
This latest aid is separate from a $725 million package announced earlier in the week, which included counter-drone systems and additional HIMARS munitions. That assistance is being drawn directly from U.S. military stockpiles to ensure faster delivery to Ukraine’s front lines. Since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, the U.S. has provided more than $62 billion in military aid to Kyiv.
“The baton will soon be passed,” Austin remarked, referring to the impending transition of presidential leadership. “Others will decide the course ahead. And I hope they will build on the strength we have forged over the past four years.”
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The announcement comes as Ukraine continues to face intensified Russian aggression, including the use of North Korean troops and intermediate-range ballistic missiles. Moscow has also ramped up strikes on Kyiv’s civilian infrastructure, adding to the urgency of bolstering Ukraine’s defenses.
With questions looming about whether Trump will sustain military aid to Ukraine, the Biden administration is working to allocate every remaining dollar from the foreign aid bill passed earlier this year, aiming to leave Ukraine in the strongest possible position for the future.
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