The Biden administration announced an additional $500 million of military aid to Ukraine on Thursday.
This security package was rushed out before President-elect Trump takes office.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. Both officials urged the incoming Trump administration to continue supporting Kyiv’s fight against Russia.
“If Putin swallows Ukraine, his appetite will only grow,” Austin warned at the 25th meeting of about 50 member nations. These nations have joined forces to support Ukraine with an estimated $122 billion in weapons and support.
“If autocrats conclude that democracies will lose their nerve, surrender their interests, and forget their principles, we will only see more land grabs. If tyrants learn that aggression pays, we will only invite even more aggression, chaos, and war,” Austin added.
The latest U.S. security assistance to Ukraine includes missiles for fighter jets, support equipment for F-16s, armored bridging systems, small arms, ammunition, and other spare parts and communications equipment.
The weapons package is funded by the presidential drawdown authority (PDA), meaning the weapons will come from U.S. stockpiles, expediting their delivery to Ukraine. Officials noted this is the Biden administration’s seventy-fourth tranche of equipment provided from Defense Department inventories for Ukraine since August 2021.
This latest package leaves about $3.85 billion in funding for future arms shipments to Ukraine. If the Biden administration makes no further announcements, that balance will be available to Trump to send if he chooses.
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Zelensky pleaded for the next administration to continue U.S. support for his country’s defensive war against Russian invaders.
Zelenskyy emphasized that abandoning the progress made in defense coalitions would be reckless at this critical juncture. He noted that global stability reassures nations that they won’t disappear from the map.
In response to the Ukraine conflict, member nations, including the U.S., significantly increased weapons production to address inadequate stockpiles. Since February 2022, the U.S. has contributed approximately $66 billion to aid efforts, with 80% to 90% of that amount already delivered to Ukraine.
“Retreat will only provide incentives for more imperial aggression,” Austin said Thursday. “And if we flinch, you can count on Putin to push further and punch harder. Ukraine’s survival is on the line. But so is the security of Europe, the United States, and the world.”
