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Washington is seeking to quickly send several billion dollars in military aid to Ukraine before President Joe Biden leaves office in January, Reuters sources say . The aim of these actions is to strengthen Ukraine’s position before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump on 20 January.
“The administration is committed to continuing efforts to prepare Ukraine for the strongest possible position,” a senior White House official said on condition of anonymity.
Against the backdrop of Trump’s criticism of Ukraine’s aid, Washington fears that the next administration may limit support for Kyiv. This is especially true given that the Republicans already control the House of Representatives and are likely to gain a majority in Congress. In the spring of this year, the Republican-controlled Congress approved an additional aid package for Ukraine, giving Biden the authority to transfer weapons from US reserves. At the time, however, more Democrats than Republicans supported the initiative.
Of the aid allocated in April, $4.3 billion remains, with $2.8 billion in previously approved transfers and $2 billion for the purchase of new weapons. In total, this is $9 billion in military aid, which could significantly strengthen Ukraine’s defence capabilities.
According to Politico, the package will include Lockheed Martin’s Javelin and RTX anti-tank missiles, as well as 155 mm artillery from General Dynamics Corp. Additional GMLRS missiles are expected to be delivered for the HIMARS systems that are successfully used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Experts doubt that US funding will continue after Trump’s inauguration, given the Republicans’ conservative stance on international aid and priority given to domestic needs.
Brookings Institution analyst Scott Anderson warned that support for Ukraine could prove problematic, especially if Ukrainian forces face challenges on the battlefield. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell avoids commenting on future aid to Kyiv, preferring to discuss the election results.
During his campaign, Trump claimed that Russia would not have dared to invade Ukraine if he had remained in power, and expressed his readiness to reach a peace agreement “in just 24 hours”. At the same time, last year he hinted that Kyiv might have to cede some territory, which Ukraine and Biden rejected as an unacceptable condition.
It is expected that under Trump’s leadership and with the support of Vice President J.D. Vance, who openly opposed aid to Ukraine, the White House may radically revise its policy of supporting Ukraine, refocusing on priorities within the country.
