US President Joe Biden’s administration is preparing a $725 million weapons package for Ukraine, Reuters reported on 28 November. Two US officials revealed that the package aims to support the Ukrainian government before Biden leaves office in January.
Biden has an estimated $4 billion to $5 billion in PDA already authorized by Congress, which he is expected to utilize before Trump’s inauguration on 20 January 2025.
An official familiar with the plan told Reuters that the package will include a variety of anti-tank weapons from US stocks, designed to counter Russia’s advancing troops. The arsenal comprises land mines, drones, Stinger missiles, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), and cluster munitions typically found in Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) rockets.
The formal notification to Congress could occur as soon as 2 December, though the package’s contents and size might change before Biden’s expected signature. This represents a significant increase from recent Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) announcements, which have typically ranged between $125 million and $250 million, Reuters notes.
The package includes non-persistent landmines, which the US has not exported in decades. These landmines are designed to be non-lethal, with a power system that renders them ineffective after a short time, addressing concerns about civilian safety. The US expects Ukraine to use these mines exclusively within its own territory.
On 27 November, US President-elect Donald Trump appointed Keith Kellogg, a retired lieutenant general, as a candidate for a special envoy to Ukraine and Russia. Ending the war quickly was a central campaign promise for Trump, though specifics remain undefined.
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