On November 26, 2024, U.S. President Joe Biden concluded his speech in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, D.C. Reuters
The Biden administration is preparing to send a significant $725 million military aid package to Ukraine, with the aim of supporting the Ukrainian government as it continues its fight against Russian forces. This move comes as President Joe Biden looks to leave a strong legacy in the region before his term ends in January.
The aid package will include various anti-tank weapons, drones, Stinger missiles, and ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), a powerful weapon used to strike targets at long ranges. In addition, the U.S. will provide cluster munitions, typically launched from HIMARS, which are designed to hit multiple targets at once.
The package’s contents, which are still subject to change, reflect an increasing level of U.S. military support to Ukraine. It represents a shift from smaller, previous arms shipments, which usually ranged from $125 million to $250 million. This is the largest package under the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), a system that allows the U.S. to supply weapons directly from its current stockpiles to assist allies in emergencies. The PDA has been a key tool in providing Ukraine with military aid since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
This new package will also include land mines, a controversial item due to their potential to harm civilians long after conflicts end. However, these mines are designed to be "non-persistent," meaning they will not stay active for long periods and should not pose a long-term danger to civilians. Ukraine has repeatedly requested land mines to help defend its territory from advancing Russian forces, which have used them on the front lines. While more than 160 countries have signed a treaty banning land mines, the U.S. has decided to send them to Ukraine as part of this aid package, aiming to strengthen Ukraine’s defense.
Despite the risks involved with land mines, the U.S. has stated that they will only be used within Ukrainian territory and not in areas populated by civilians. This measure is seen as a strategic attempt to stop the rapid progress of Russian troops, who have been making significant territorial gains over the past month. Analysts report that Russia has captured land half the size of London in recent weeks, marking one of the fastest advances since the early stages of the 2022 invasion.
The new aid package is set to be formally announced to Congress soon, possibly as early as Monday, and President Biden is expected to sign it shortly after. While the specifics of the aid package may still shift, this step represents a major U.S. commitment to supporting Ukraine as the war continues to intensify.
In parallel, former President Donald Trump, who has expressed a desire to end the war quickly, has appointed a new special envoy, retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg, to focus on the conflict. Kellogg is tasked with crafting a plan to resolve the war, though Trump has remained vague on the details of how he would approach such a resolution.
