Biden administration set to announce ‘substantial’ final weapons package for Ukraine

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is set to announce a massive, final weapons aid package for Ukraine as part of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s visit to Germany on Thursday to meet with representatives of about 50 partner nations who have come to Ukraine’s defense since Russia invaded nearly three years ago, two senior defense officials said.

The officials did not provide an exact dollar amount but said the package was expected to be “substantial,” although it would not include all of the roughly $4 billion left in the congressionally authorized funding for Ukraine. There likely would be “more than a couple billions dollars” remaining for the incoming Trump defense team to provide to Ukraine if it chose to do so, the officials said Tuesday in briefing reporters traveling with Austin.

Ukraine is in the midst of launching a second offensive in Russia’s Kursk region and is facing a barrage of long-range missiles and ongoing advances from Russia as both sides seek to put themselves in the strongest negotiating point possible before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20.

Austin’s trip to Ramstein Air Base will be his final meeting with the group he organized to come to Ukraine’s defense after Russia’s invasion in February 2022. Together those nations have provided more than $126 billion in weapons and military training and assistance. Those packages have included millions of rounds of ammunition, advanced fighter jets, air defense systems, counter-UAV systems and even tanks.

The U.S. has provided $66 billion of that total.

The package to be announced on Thursday will be drawn from existing stockpiles with a goal of getting most of the weapons pledged to Ukraine by the time Trump is sworn in., one of the defense officials said.

On Dec. 30, the administration announced a separate $1.25 billion aid package, part of a series of aid announcements as it hurried to get as much military assistance to Ukraine as it can before President Joe Biden leaves office.