The Biden administration plans to unveil a significant final weapons aid package for Ukraine during Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s visit to Germany on Jan. 9.
Austin is set to meet representatives from around 50 nations that have supported Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion nearly three years ago, two senior defense officials told the Associated Press.
While the officials did not specify the exact value of the aid, they described it as "substantial." The package will not encompass the approximately $4 billion remaining in congressionally approved funding for Ukraine. However, they noted that "more than a couple of billion dollars" would likely be left for the incoming Trump administration to allocate if it chooses to do so.
Ukraine is currently engaged in a second offensive targeting Russia’s Kursk region while enduring long-range missile strikes and Russian advancements in Donetsk Oblast. Both sides are maneuvering to strengthen their negotiating positions ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20.
According to one defense official, Biden administration officials handling Ukraine policy have been coordinating with Trump’s transition team to address "all the issues that we believe are important. "
Austin’s trip to Ramstein Air Base will mark his final meeting with the coalition he formed in response to Russia’s invasion in February 2022. Over the course of the war, these nations have contributed more than $126 billion in military assistance, including ammunition, advanced fighter jets, air defense systems, counter-UAV technologies, and tanks. The U.S. has provided $66 billion of that total.
The upcoming aid package, scheduled to be announced on Jan. 9, will draw from existing stockpiles with the intent of delivering most of the pledged weapons to Ukraine before Trump takes office, one official said.
Samantha de Bendern
(Updated: )
