US announces $275 million military aid package for Ukraine

The United States will send a new military package worth $275 million to Ukraine, the Pentagon said in a statement on Nov. 20.

It will include HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) ammunition, artillery shells, and Javelin surface-to-air missiles, in addition to a wide range of spare parts and equipment.

“The United States will continue to work together with some 50 Allies and partners to meet Ukraine's urgently needed battlefield requirements and defend against Russian aggression,” the statement read.

Outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration has supported Ukraine with $60 billion in military aid.

However, the future of the U.S. commitment to providing arms to Ukraine remains uncertain as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office in January 2025.

Trump has promised a quick end to the war, but did not elaborate on how he intends to achieve this. A likely scenario is using the suspension of aid as a tool to force Ukraine into negotiations with Russia.

Since his rival’s election victory, Biden has vowed to provide Ukraine with additional aid “to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position,” according to the Pentagon’s statement.

Biden has also authorized the delivery of anti-personnel land mines to Ukraine, his Secretary of Defense Austin Loyd told reporters on Nov. 20 in Laos.

The decision is expected to help slow down Russia's advance in the east of the country.

The move follows the Biden administration's authorization of the use of U.S.-made long-range missiles to strike Russian territory. Kyiv has not officially confirmed the claims, but recent reports indicate Ukraine struck targets in Russia's Bryansk Oblast with ATACMS missiles.

ATACMS, Trump, and the increasing importance of Kursk Oblast for Ukraine

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on Nov. 19 that Ukraine had launched the U.S.-made ATACMS missiles against Russia’s Bryansk Oblast. Hours prior, Ukraine struck a Russian military facility in Karachev, Bryansk Oblast, a two-hour drive from the Ukrainian-controlled part of Russia. President Joe…

The Kyiv IndependentChris York