The United States Department of Defense announced a new $988 million military assistance package for Ukraine on Saturday, as the Biden administration moves swiftly to provide aid before President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January.
The latest aid package includes drones, ammunition for HIMARS rocket launchers, and equipment and spare parts for artillery systems, tanks and armored vehicles, according to Pentagon officials. This brings total US military assistance to Ukraine to over $62 billion since Russia's invasion began in February 2022.
The aid will be provided through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which involves procuring equipment from defense contractors rather than drawing from existing US military stocks. This means the weapons and equipment will take longer to reach Ukrainian forces compared to direct transfers from Pentagon inventories.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the package during a speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, noting that the US and allies have "helped Ukraine survive an all-out assault by the largest military in Europe."
The timing of the announcement comes as questions swirl about the future of US support for Ukraine under an incoming Trump administration. Trump, who has previously criticized US assistance to Ukraine, met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Saturday, though details of their discussion were not immediately available.
The Biden administration is working to allocate approximately $8 billion in remaining congressionally approved funding for Ukraine before the presidential transition. This latest package follows a separate $725 million aid announcement earlier this week that included landmines and anti-aircraft weapons.
Ukraine continues to face intensified Russian attacks, with Moscow now reportedly deploying North Korean troops and launching strikes against civilian infrastructure. The US-led international coalition has provided tens of billions in military assistance that Ukrainian officials say has been instrumental in helping resist Russian forces.