WASHINGTON: The administration of Democratic US President Joe Biden announced a new $500 million weapons aid package for Ukraine on Thursday, according to a statement by Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
White House spokesperson John Kirby reaffirmed that the US would continue to provide support for Ukraine until the end of Biden’s presidency.
Just 10 days earlier, Washington committed $725 million in missiles, ammunition, anti-personnel mines, and other weaponry for Ukraine. The outgoing administration aims to reinforce Ukraine’s resistance against Russia’s invasion before Biden’s term concludes in January, when Republican President-elect Donald Trump will assume office.
The latest package includes ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and High-speed Anti-Radiation Missiles (HARMs), among other resources, Blinken revealed.
Following this announcement, approximately $5.6 billion remains available under the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), enabling Biden to dispatch weapons from US stockpiles to Ukraine without needing congressional approval.
Meanwhile, Russian forces continue to capture villages in eastern Ukraine, advancing their goal of seizing the Donbas industrial region. Simultaneously, Russian airstrikes persist, targeting Ukraine’s already damaged energy infrastructure as the country braces for the onset of winter.
Since the start of Russia’s invasion in February 2022, the United States has provided Ukraine with an estimated $43 billion in military assistance, making it the largest single contributor to Ukraine’s defence efforts.
