Biden Rushes Billions in Aid to Ukraine Ahead of Trump’s Return
With Donald Trump’s election victory, the Biden administration is reportedly accelerating the flow of billions of dollars in security assistance to Ukraine before leaving office in January, Al Jazeera reports.
This move is seen as an attempt to bolster Kyiv’s defenses ahead of a potential shift in US policy under a Republican-controlled government.
A senior Biden administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that the administration “plans to push forward… to put Ukraine in the strongest position possible.”
The news comes after Trump, who has been critical of the scale of US support for Ukraine, pledged to end the war with Russia quickly without offering specifics.
Despite the looming change, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed confidence in the continued US-Ukraine partnership. He congratulated Trump and spoke with the president-elect on Wednesday, saying that they “agreed to maintain close dialogue and advance our cooperation.”
The US has already provided over $64.1 billion in military assistance to Ukraine since the start of war in 2022. The planned aid package, totaling $9 billion, is aimed to provide Ukraine with crucial ground vehicles, 155mm artillery, and surface-to-surface missiles.
However, the Republican control of Congress and Trump’s past statements regarding Ukraine’s future have raised significant questions about the continuation of current levels of support.
During the campaign, Trump suggested that Ukraine might have to cede territory to Russia to reach a peace deal, a proposition rejected by Kyiv.
