‘Surge of weapons’: How much Ukraine aid did Biden approve after Trump win?

United States President Joe Biden asked the Department of Defense to unreserved weapons deliveries to Ukraine aft Russia launched a Christmas Day attack connected its smaller neighbour’s vigor infrastructure.

Biden’s comments connected Wednesday travel astatine a clip erstwhile his medication is scrambling to nonstop subject assistance to Ukraine earlier President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration connected January 20. Here’s a look astatine what the US has committed to Ukraine since Trump’s predetermination successful November, and wherefore Biden is successful a unreserved to get wealth and supplies implicit to Ukraine.

What was the Christmas onslaught connected Ukraine?

On Wednesday, Russia attacked Ukraine with drones and cruise and ballistic missiles. The onslaught wounded astatine slightest six radical successful Kharkiv and killed 1 successful Dnipropetrovsk, according to section authorities.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia “deliberately chose Christmas” to motorboat an onslaught connected Ukraine’s vigor infrastructure.

“What could beryllium much inhumane?” Zelenskyy asked successful an X station connected Wednesday.

Ukraine – which antecedently celebrated Christmas according to the Orthodox calendar, similar Russia, connected January 7 – has marked it for the past 2 years during Russia’s warfare connected the state connected December 25, similar the West.

Keith Kellogg, whom Trump picked to beryllium his peculiar envoy for the Ukraine war, condemned the attack, saying: “Christmas should beryllium a clip of peace, yet Ukraine was brutally attacked connected Christmas Day,” adding that the US is committed to bringing bid to Ukraine.

Every monolithic Russian onslaught requires clip for preparation. It is ne'er a spontaneous decision. It is simply a deliberate prime – not lone of targets but besides of timing and date.

Today, Putin deliberately chose Christmas for an attack. What could beryllium much inhumane? Over 70 missiles,… pic.twitter.com/GMD8rTomoX

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 25, 2024

What did Biden say?

Biden released a connection connected Wednesday condemning Russia’s attack.

“The intent of this outrageous onslaught was to chopped disconnected the Ukrainian people’s entree to vigor and energy during wintertime and to jeopardize the information of its grid,” the connection said.

The connection added: “In caller months, the United States has provided Ukraine with hundreds of aerial defence missiles, and much are connected the way. I person directed the Department of Defense to proceed its surge of weapons deliveries to Ukraine.”

This committedness is the latest among respective that Biden has made since Trump’s election win against Biden’s vice president, Kamala Harris. Since then, the Biden medication has scrambled to nonstop subject enactment to Ukraine earlier Trump takes office.

How overmuch assistance has Ukraine received from the US?

According to a information expanse published by the White House connected December 2, the US has committed $61.4bn successful information assistance to Ukraine since the opening of Russia’s full-scale warfare connected February 24, 2022.

On December 2, the Biden medication announced a $725m subject assistance bundle with munitions, surface-to-air rocket systems, tiny arms, spare parts and demolition equipment. This was sent from the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), approved by the US Congress.

The US pledged $988m successful subject aid to Ukraine connected December 7. This bundle included drones and munitions for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), which the US had provided to Ukraine earlier. Instead of the PDA, this was sent from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI).

Then, connected December 12, Secretary of State Antony Blinken unveiled a subject assistance bundle to Kyiv worthy $500m, comprising HIMARS ammunition, drones and armoured vehicles. This was besides sent from the PDA.

How overmuch much subject assistance could Biden nonstop to Ukraine?

With Republicans successful power of some houses of the caller Congress, which takes bureau astatine the opening of the year, Biden, a Democrat, is improbable to beryllium capable to unafraid approvals for caller backing for Ukraine. Trump and galore Republicans loyal to him person made wide that they are opposed to what they picture arsenic a “blank cheque” successful presumption of backing for Ukraine.

Even without further approvals, Biden inactive has a kitty of funds his medication plans to dip into to get arsenic overmuch assistance to Ukraine arsenic it tin earlier the 82-year-old hands implicit the keys to the White House to Trump.

As of precocious November, determination was $4bn to $5bn near successful the PDA. Even with $1.5bn retired of that subsequently committed by Biden, the exiting president has a important root of wealth near to effort to get to Ukraine.

From August 2022 to December 12 this year, the Biden medication utilized the PDA 55 times to nonstop assistance to Ukraine.

Additionally, astir $2.2bn remains nether the USAI for Biden to use.

Why is the Biden medication rushing to nonstop assistance to Ukraine?

Trump has questioned US fiscal engagement successful Ukraine.

During a run lawsuit successful Georgia successful September, Trump said: “Every clip Zelenskyy comes to the United States, helium walks distant with $100bn,” citing a made-up statistic.

“We’re stuck successful that warfare unless I’m president,” helium said astatine the rally.

The president-elect has said helium wants to bring the Ukraine warfare to a punctual end, raising concerns that helium could chopped enactment to Kyiv erstwhile successful office.

On December 13, John Kirby, the US nationalist information spokesperson said Biden would “continue to supply further packages close up to the extremity of this administration”.