The Biden administration revealed on Wednesday plans to deliver an additional $275 million in military aid to Ukraine, intensifying support for the nation ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken detailed the package, which includes ammunition for high-mobility artillery rocket systems, TOW missiles, landmines, small arms, training equipment, various other munitions, and drones.
“As part of the surge in security assistance that President Biden announced on September 26, the United States is providing another significant package of urgently needed weapons and equipment to our Ukrainian partners as they defend against Russia’s ongoing attacks,” Blinken said in a statement. “We will continue to provide Ukraine the support it needs to succeed on the battlefield and prevail in its defense against Russia’s aggression.”
On Thursday, Ukraine reported that Russia had attacked the city of Dnipro using an intercontinental ballistic missile, a claim U.S. officials deemed unlikely.
Earlier in the week, President Joe Biden approved Ukraine’s use of long-range American-supplied missiles against targets in Russia. Donald Trump Jr. criticized the Biden administration, accusing it of attempting to provoke a world war ahead of his father’s January inauguration.
“The Military Industrial Complex seems to want to make sure they get World War 3 going before my father has a chance to create peace and save lives. Gotta lock in those $Trillions. Life be damned!!! Imbeciles!” he posted on X on Monday.
The policy shift drew mixed reactions from Republicans, who questioned the timing of Biden’s decision.
“Better late than never, but it was late,” said Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “I’ve been urging the administration to untie their hands for two years, and every weapons system they drag their feet and then they finally approve it.”
Florida Representative Cory Mills claimed that Biden’s actions were intended to undermine Trump’s foreign policy agenda.
“Biden is going to do what Biden’s done the last four years, which is destroy the country, destroy our position on the world stage, try and weaken us in every way when it comes to negotiations, to make it more difficult for President Trump to go ahead and focus on the ‘America First’ agenda,” he said.
Trump has vowed to swiftly end the war, pledging to negotiate a peace agreement.
“We’re going to work very hard on Russia and Ukraine. It’s got to stop. Russia and Ukraine’s gotta stop,” he said earlier this month.
The U.S. has allocated $183 billion in aid to Ukraine during Biden’s presidency.
