Biden, DoD announce another $2.5 billion aid package for Ukraine

By 
 December 31, 2024

President Joe Biden has approximately three weeks left in office but he has not let his outgoing, lame-duck status stop him from continuing to distribute largesse at the expense of American taxpayers.

On Monday, Biden announced yet another massive aid package for Ukraine worth around $2.5 billion that includes military equipment and funds for the beleaguered Eastern European nation still fending off a Russian invasion that began nearly three years ago, Breitbart reported.

Further, though his brief time remaining in office may dictate otherwise, Biden insinuated that this might not even be the final aid package for Ukraine before he eventually exits office on January 20.

More aid for Ukraine

In a statement on Monday, President Biden said, "Today, I am proud to announce nearly $2.5 billion in security assistance for Ukraine, as the Ukrainian people continue to defend their independence and freedom from Russian aggression."

Ever since the initial Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Biden continued, "It has been a top priority of mine to provide Ukraine with the support it needs to prevail."

"Today’s announcement -- which includes an additional $1.25 billion drawdown package for the Ukrainian military and a $1.22 billion Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) package -- builds on this effort and will provide Ukraine with both an immediate influx of capabilities that it continues to use to great effect on the battlefield and longer-term supplies of air defense, artillery, and other critical weapons systems," he said.

Biden will "continue surging" more assistance for Ukraine

President Biden's statement acknowledged that this aid package for Ukraine will exhaust the remainder of the USAI funds that had been allocated by Congress for this year but suggested that he may find ways to deliver even more aid over the coming weeks.

"I’ve directed my Administration to continue surging as much assistance to Ukraine as quickly as possible -- including drawing down older U.S. equipment for Ukraine, rapidly delivering it to the battlefield, and then revitalizing the U.S. defense industrial base to modernize and replenish our stockpiles with new weapons," Biden said.

"The Department of Defense," he continued, "is in the process of delivering hundreds of thousands of artillery rounds, thousands of rockets, and hundreds of armored vehicles which will strengthen Ukraine’s hand as it heads into the winter."

The outgoing president added, "At my direction, the United States will continue to work relentlessly to strengthen Ukraine’s position in this war over the remainder of my time in office."

DoD provides breakdown of equipment and munitions provided

As for the Defense Department, it issued a press release on Monday to announce "additional security assistance support to meet Ukraine's critical security and defense needs as part of the surge of security assistance the President directed to put Ukraine in the best possible position."

That includes the estimated $1.25 billion worth of military equipment via the Presidential Drawdown Authority, which will provide things like "missiles for air defense; munitions for rocket systems and artillery; and anti-tank weapons," as well as the roughly $1.22 billion from the USAI package that will provide Ukraine with funds to purchase things like "additional air defense, air-to-ground, Unmanned Aerial Systems, and other capabilities to fight Russian aggression."

The DoD release went on to provide a detailed breakdown of the various weapons systems and military equipment Ukraine would receive, including assorted missiles, rockets, and artillery shells; unmanned drones and anti-drone technologies; anti-tank weapons; small arms and explosives; communications equipment; medical supplies; clothing; and spare parts for maintenance, among other things.

It was noted that since the first aid package for Ukraine was delivered in August 2021, roughly six months before the war even began, this was the 73rd use of the drawdown authority to provide U.S. equipment and munitions to Ukraine and the 23rd distribution of funds through the congressionally authorized USAI package.

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