The United States is aiming to make it to January 20 to support Kyiv with weapons amid a possible policy shift. The Biden administration plans to urgently send Ukraine more than $6 billion of the remaining $61 billion spring aid package.
This was reported by Politico.
In particular, the White House wants to complete this process before Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20. This is done in case the new administration changes course and stops supplying arms to Ukraine.
According to Politico, the current US administration is eager to provide Ukraine with weapons to defend itself against Russian aggression, but even if the aid is announced immediately, not all of the allocated funds will be able to reach Ukraine quickly due to the multi-month logistics cycle.
There is also a risk that the new president could suspend the delivery. Moreover, even if funds are available, the United States can only send weapons that are already in stock.
Former Pentagon official Mark Kanchian told Politico that efforts are made each month to deliver everything the defense industry produces, but the speed of delivery is limited by the pace of production.
The remaining funds from the spring aid package are divided into two areas: $4.3 billion is earmarked to cover the cost of weapons withdrawn from the Pentagon's stockpile, and $2.1 billion is for new contracts with U.S. defense contractors. In particular, on November 1, the White House announced a new $425 million aid package for Ukraine (ammunition for NASAMS and HIMARS, etc.).
Author: Inna Mikhno