The Biden administration announced another $500 million on Thursday military aid to Ukraine rushed out the door in a security package before President-elect Trump took office.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the final time at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where he made the announcement. Both officials took the opportunity to urge the new Trump administration to continue supporting Kiev’s fight against Russia.
“If Putin swallows Ukraine, his appetite will only increase,” Austin warned at the 25th meeting of about 50 member states that have joined forces to support Ukraine with an estimated $122 billion in weapons and aid.
“If autocrats conclude that democracies will lose their nerve, abandon their interests and forget their principles, we will only see more land grabs. If tyrants learn that aggression pays, we will only invite more aggression, chaos and war.”
From left: German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin attend a meeting of the Ukrainian Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, on Thursday, January 9, 2025. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)
The latest U.S. security assistance to Ukraine includes missiles for fighter jets, support equipment for F-16s, armored bridging systems, small arms and ammunition, and other spare parts and communications equipment.
The weapons package is financed by the Presidential Drawing Authority (PDA), meaning the weapons will come from US stockpiles, speeding up delivery to Ukraine.
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Austin announced a new $500 million security package for Ukraine. (Mariajan Murat/dpa via AP)
Officials noted that this is the Biden administration’s seventy-fourth tranche of equipment to be delivered Ministry of Defense inventories for Ukraine since August 2021.
This latest package leaves approximately $3.85 billion in funding for future arms shipments to Ukraine; If the Biden administration makes no further announcements, Trump will be able to send that balance if he chooses.
Zelensky advocated that the next administration continue U.S. support for his country’s defensive war against Russian invaders.
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The ruins of the city of Toretsk are located in Donetsk region, Eastern Ukraine on December 19, 2024. (Photo by Ukrinform/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“We have come such a long way that, frankly, it would be crazy to drop the ball now and not continue to build on the defense coalitions we have created,” Zelenskyy said. “No matter what happens in the world, everyone wants to be sure that their country is not simply erased from the map.”
Member states of the coalition backing Kiev, including the US, have increased weapons production since the war in Ukraine revealed that supplies were insufficient for a major conventional land war.
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The US has provided about $66 billion of the total aid since February 2022 and has already been able to deliver most of that total – between 80% and 90% – to Ukraine.
“Withdrawing will only invite more imperial aggression,” Austin said Thursday. “And if we push back, you can count on Putin to push further and hit harder. Ukraine’s survival is at stake. But so is the security of Europe, the United States and the world.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
