Funds approved by the US Congress to provide weapons to Kyiv under US President Joe Biden have almost dried up and most of the military aid package has gone to Ukraine.
According to The Kyiv Independent, on December 30, former President Biden announced the final military aid package under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) worth nearly $2.5 billion for Ukraine. The aid package mainly includes anti-aircraft missiles and ammunition for missile systems such as HIMARS, as well as many artillery shells. However, this budget is now almost used up.
President Trump wants Ukraine to use rare earth reserves in exchange for US aid
USAI has allocated a total of $32.7 billion to purchase new military equipment for Ukraine since 2022. In its fiscal year 2025 spending proposal, released before President Donald Trump took office, the Pentagon requested only about $300 million to add to the fund, a relatively modest figure.
In addition to USAI, the US can provide weapons to Ukraine under the Presidential Appropriations Authority (PDA), a law that allows the US government to directly withdraw weapons from its stockpile to its partners in an emergency without congressional approval. On January 9, the US announced $500 million in military aid to Ukraine, marking the last aid package Washington will provide to Kyiv under President Biden.
A convoy of Bradley fighting vehicles is loaded onto a ship to support Ukraine in South Carolina (USA).
According to The Kyiv Independent , the PDA budget currently has only $3.8 billion left unspent. The way the PDA aid packages are structured is to pay US arms manufacturers to replenish domestic stockpiles, rather than directly buying new equipment to send to Ukraine. Therefore, any further aid the Pentagon sends to Ukraine will be significantly lower than the $3.8 billion.
The US Congress has yet to approve the 2025 budget, and any future arms allocations to Ukraine will depend heavily on President Trump’s influence. Ukraine’s continued reliance on US arms will give Trump a bargaining chip.
The US leader has previously expressed his desire to exchange US aid for Ukraine's mineral reserves, especially rare earths. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signaled that he is ready to move forward with such a deal.
155mm artillery shells are packaged for transport in Pennsylvania (USA) in February 2024.
US arms are crucial to Ukraine. Zelensky recently cited statistics showing that US arms packages account for about 40% of Ukraine’s total arms supply. While the funding is ending, the Pentagon itself said it has delivered most of what was allocated to Ukraine.
"As of January 10, the US Department of Defense has delivered 89% of critical ammunition, 94% of anti-armor systems, and 75% of other firepower committed to Ukraine through the PDA," said Lieutenant Colonel Charlie Dietz, a Pentagon representative. Dietz said the remaining weapons will be gradually delivered to Ukraine in the coming time.
Reuters quoted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as saying on February 5 that cutting arms aid from Washington would seriously affect Kyiv's defense capabilities. "We will be weaker, and whether we will be able to keep our territory, I am not sure," Zelensky said.
Mr Zelensky added that Ukraine would continue to receive military aid from the US, but there was currently no discussion about any potential aid package.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ukraine-sap-can-vien-tro-vu-khi-my-185250206173114824.htm
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