Joe Biden’s administration is expected to announce a massive final arms aid package for Ukraine on Thursday as part of the US defense secretary’s visit to Germany, two senior defense officials said.
Lloyd Austin is due to meet representatives of around 50 partner countries who have come to Ukraine’s defense since the Russian invasion almost three years ago.
U.S. officials did not provide an exact dollar amount, but said the plan is expected to be “substantial,” although it would not include all of the roughly $4 billion remaining in funding authorized by Congress. for Ukraine.
There would likely be “more than a few billion dollars” left that Donald Trump’s new defense team could provide to Ukraine if it chose to do so, officials said Tuesday in a briefing with reporters traveling with the Secretary Austin.
Ukraine is launching a second offensive in Russia’s Kursk region and faces a barrage of long-range missiles and continued advances from Russia, as both sides seek to put themselves in the point of negotiating as hard as possible before President-elect Trump takes office on January 20.
Mr. Austin’s trip to Ramstein Air Base, Germany, will be his final meeting with the group he organized to come to Ukraine’s defense after Russia’s invasion in February 2022. Together, these nations have provided more than US$126 billion in weapons and military training and assistance. This aid includes millions of munitions, advanced fighter jets, air defense systems, anti-drone systems and even tanks. The United States provided more than half of the total aid – $66 billion.
The new aid plan to be announced Thursday will be drawn from existing stockpiles, aiming to deliver most of the weapons promised to Ukraine by the time Mr. Trump is sworn in on Jan. 20, the president said. one of the defense officials.
On December 30, the White House announced a separate $1.25 billion aid package, part of a series of announcements as the Biden administration races to deliver as much aid. military as possible to Ukraine before the Democratic president leaves office.
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