Washington:
US President Joe Biden announced $2.5 billion in additional security aid to Ukraine on Monday, as he uses his final weeks in office to increase military aid to Kiev before President-elect Donald Trump takes power.
“At my direction, the United States will continue to work relentlessly to strengthen Ukraine's position in this war for the remainder of my term,” Biden said in a statement.
Biden's announcement includes $1.25 billion in military aid from U.S. stockpiles and a $1.22 billion Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) package, the last USAI package of Biden's term.
Under USAI, military equipment is purchased from the defense industry or partners, rather than sourced from U.S. stockpiles, meaning it can take months or years to arrive on the battlefield.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is approaching the three-year mark and recently the Russians have used North Korean forces to strengthen their fighting position.
North Korean forces are experiencing massive casualties on the front lines of Russia's war against Ukraine. In the past week alone, 1,000 of their troops have been killed or wounded in Russia's Kursk region, White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Friday.
In a statement, Biden said the new aid will provide Ukraine with “an immediate influx of capabilities that it continues to use to great effect on the battlefield and in the longer term of air defense, artillery and other critical weapons systems.”
Nearly three years after the start of the war, Washington has pledged a total of $175 billion in aid to Ukraine, but it is uncertain whether aid will continue at that pace under Trump, who will replace Biden on January 20. Trump has said he wants to continue the war. to a quick end.
During the presidential election campaign, Trump questioned the level of U.S. involvement in the conflict, suggesting that European allies should shoulder a greater share of the financial burden.
Some of his fellow Republicans – who will control both the House of Representatives and the Senate from next month – have also cooled on sending more aid to Kiev.
Biden said the Defense Department is in the process of delivering hundreds of thousands of artillery shells, thousands of rockets and hundreds of armored vehicles “that will strengthen Ukraine's hand as it heads into winter.”
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