((Automated translation by Reuters, please see disclaimer https://bit.ly/rtrsauto))
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White House wants to send $9 billion in military aid to Ukraine
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Trump criticizes Biden's aid to Ukraine, worries about future of aid
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Analysts question continued US support for Republican-controlled Ukraine
(Updated with new sources, details and comments throughout the article.) by Patricia Zengerle and Mike Stone
The White House plans to send billions of dollars in security aid to Ukraine before President Joe Biden leaves office in January, sources said Wednesday, hoping to shore up the government in Kyiv ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump on January 20.
“The administration plans to move forward … to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position,” a senior administration official said on condition of anonymity, before his mandate does not end in January.
Mr. Trump criticized Mr. Biden's aid to Ukraine, fueling concerns about the future of support for President Volodomyr Zelensky's government under Republican control in the White House, Senate and possibly in the House of Representatives.
The House has been narrowly controlled by Republicans since January 2023, and it was unclear Wednesday afternoon whether the party had gained enough seats in Tuesday's election to prevent Democrats from securing a slim majority.
The last time the Republican-controlled House of Representatives approved aid to Ukraine, including authorizing Mr. Biden to transfer billions of dollars of weapons from U.S. stockpiles, was was in April, eight months after Mr. Biden requested additional aid, with the support of more Democrats than Republicans.
$4.3 billion remains in the arms transfer authorization passed in April, adding to the $2.8 billion in transfers approved by lawmakers in previous spending measures and the $2 billion dollars in funding for the purchase of new weapons from industry.
In total, this $9 billion in military aid would be a significant boost to Ukraine's stores.
Mr. Biden's plans for the transfers were first reported by Politico. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The United States will continue to send anti-tank ammunition and weapons such as Lockheed Martin LMT.N and RTX
RTX.N Javelin to Ukraine in the coming months.
To help Ukraine regain territory in its land war with Russia, more ground vehicles will be needed, as well as 155mm artillery manufactured by General Dynamics Corp.
GD.N. Ukraine is expected to receive more GMLRS surface-to-surface rockets, which have been heavily used by the HIMARS Multiple Launch Rocket System.
Analysts say it is far from certain that Washington will support further aid to Ukraine when Republicans control the White House and at least half of Congress, especially if Ukraine suffers setbacks on the battlefield .
“It will be a problem when additional funding is proposed for Ukraine, which will be necessary at some point,” said Scott Anderson, a fellow on governance at the Brookings Institution.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell refused to discuss aid to Ukraine during a news conference Wednesday, saying he was only there to discuss the election results.
As he sought a second four-year term, Mr. Trump insisted that Russian President Vladimir Putin would never have invaded Ukraine in 2022 if he had been in power, adding that he “could solve this problem in 24 hours”
Last year, Mr. Trump told Reuters that Kyiv might have to cede territory to reach a peace deal, something Ukraine has rejected and Mr. Biden has never suggested.
Vice President-elect, US Senator JD Vance, has been highly critical of aid to Ukraine, saying public funds would be better used for domestic priorities.
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