US to send $1.25 billion in military aid to Ukraine, AP reports
The U.S. is planning to send $1.25 billion in military aid to Ukraine, the Associated Press (AP) reported on Dec. 27, citing unnamed U.S. officials.
The announcement is expected to come on Dec. 30, officials said.
The outgoing White House administration has ramped up materiel shipments to Ukraine in the weeks before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Previously, the U.S. announced $500 million in military aid for Ukraine on Dec. 12.
The upcoming aid package is expected to include a substantial supply of munitions, officials told AP. This includes munitions for crucial air defense systems, such as the Hawk air defense system and the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS).
Stinger missiles and artillery rounds (105- and 155-mm) will also likely be provided, U.S. officials said.
The promised air defense delivery comes as Ukraine faces intensifying Russian aerial attacks targeting critical energy infrastructure. Russia directed a mass missile and drone strike against Ukraine's power grid on Christmas morning, leading U.S. President Joe Biden to promise a "surge" of weapons deliveries to Kyiv in response.
Ukraine on Dec. 3 asked NATO countries for at least 20 air defense systems to repel Russian attacks.
The situation on the ground is also "challenging" and "trending towards escalation," Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Nov. 9. Russia has been making a series of territorial gains in eastern Ukraine, advancing in Donetsk Oblast and now attempting to shift its offensive into the south.
Asami Terajima
