President Joe Biden announced an additional $500 million in military aid to Ukraine during a surprise trip to the nation’s capital of Kyiv on Monday.
Biden’s visit came as Ukraine approaches the one-year anniversary this week of Russia’s invasion of the former Soviet republic.
Biden announces $500 million in new military aid during trip to Kyiv https://t.co/HeVmf1msOY
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) February 20, 2023
The details
“The new aid, which Biden announced on Monday during his visit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, is valued at $500 million, though the U.S. president did not provide many details on what would be included in it,” the Washington Examiner reported.
“This aid package brings the total amount of military aid the U.S. has provided to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion to nearly $30 billion,” it added.
Happy President’s Day! The latest from our America LAST “President”
Biden heads to Kyiv, announces additional $500 MILLION in US aid for Ukraine https://t.co/o0QEztCRxF
— Savanah Hernandez (@sav_says_) February 20, 2023
Even more aid
“In addition to security funding, which are essentially weapons and munitions, the US has sent humanitarian aid as well, in excess of $50 million,” the Post Millennial reported.
“During his visit to Kyiv, Biden assured Zelensky that the US will stand with them no matter what. Biden previously vowed to fund the war in Ukraine ‘as long as it takes.’ He’s promised not to send F-16 fighter jets, but less than a year ago, he promised not to send Abrams tanks, claiming that would mean the start of World War III, and those are reportedly on the way,” it added.
Biden: “Today I’m announcing that the US will be sending 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine.” pic.twitter.com/AhMKdf8Wrj
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) January 25, 2023
The latest commitments have led to growing questions by many Americans over the massive amounts of aid headed to Ukraine, with concerns emerging about the accountability of the aid and the goal of the Ukraine military conflict.
For example, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said during a Monday interview on “Fox & Friends” that Biden and Democrats have given Ukraine a blank-check policy.
“They have effectively a blank-check policy with no clear, strategic objective identified, and these things can escalate, and I don’t think it’s in our interests to be getting into a proxy war with China, getting involved over things like the borderlands or over Crimea,” DeSantis said.
“So I think it would behoove them to identify what is the strategic objective that they’re trying to achieve, but just saying it’s an open-ended blank check, that is not acceptable,” he added.
The new announcement also comes as the U.S. faces its own financial problems with the government debt ceiling leading to concerns of a shutdown later this year.