Biden prepares $725 million in aid for Ukraine

President Joe Biden, in his final preparations before his imminent departure from the White House, wants to position President Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukraine optimally in the face of Russian invasion, and is preparing a final $750 million aid package for the country.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement that the president had approved $725 million for Ukraine.

The aid includes large quantities of artillery, rockets and air defense systems.

The President also ordered the Department of Defense to quickly deliver these materials to Ukraine, to ensure that the country has the equipment it needs to defend itself against the recent intensification of Russian forward attacks.

The new equipment, which includes ammunition for high-mobility artillery rocket systems, anti-personnel mines and Stinger missiles, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, will be delivered to Ukraine between December and mid-January.

This aims to strengthen Ukrainian forces and put them in the best possible position before Joe Biden leaves.

This comes as the exact positions of Donald Trump, who will take over the presidency at the end of January, remain uncertain, as does the direction of the conflict once he is in charge of aid to the US ally.

The administration has a few weeks to use nearly $7 billion from a larger package authorized by Congress earlier in 2024 to support Ukraine in the face of Russian invasion.

However, according to CNN, this year the United States has reached the limits of its ability to replenish its own stocks of weapons and ammunition.

This has led to a considerable reduction in arms shipments to Ukraine by the Biden administration in 2024.

In addition to helping Ukraine, the aim of the shipments to Ukraine is to renew US arms and ammunition stocks by replacing old equipment with newer, up-to-date equipment.