The Biden administration plans to unveil a final Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative package in the coming days and spend the remaining funds set aside to buy new weapons for Ukraine, two people familiar with the matter said.
A third source said the package includes air defense interceptors and artillery shells, but the exact contents are expected to be announced in the next few days. The package will be worth about $1.2 billion, the people said.
Under USAI, military equipment is sourced from the defense industry and partners rather than from U.S. inventories and can take months or years to arrive on the battlefield.
The USAI package will see the U.S. provide direct military aid to Ukraine as Kiev prepares for the return of President-elect Donald Trump, who has publicly questioned military aid and vowed to end the Ukraine war within 24 hours. This may be one of the last resorts to take. He will take office on January 20th.
The United States has pledged $175 billion in aid to Ukraine since Russia invaded its neighbor in February 2022, including about $61.4 billion in security assistance.
Approximately half of the security assistance was provided through USAI programs, and the remainder was financed from existing military supplies through the President's funding authority.
The president still has $5.6 billion in revocation authority.
The State Department and the Pentagon declined to comment on future announcements, saying they would not discuss the security aid package until it was formally announced.
The USAI program has been a boon for U.S. defense contractors, allowing them to book orders for newly manufactured weapons and establish new sources of revenue.
One example is the L3Harris Technologies VAMPIRE system. The vehicle-independent modular palletized ISR rocket equipment counter-drone system received its first USAI-funded order in August 2022.
L3Harris delivered the first four units within 12 months. The company has seen growing interest in the system and has since received multiple orders through the USAI program.
As the Biden administration prepares to unveil details of USAI's final package, questions remain about how and whether the United States will continue to support allies in the absence of dedicated USAI funding. There is.
During his campaign, Mr. Trump repeatedly questioned the extent of U.S. involvement in the conflict and suggested European allies should shoulder more of the financial burden. Some of his Republican colleagues, who will hold the majority in both chambers of Congress next month, have also balked at their support for Kiev.
This stance has raised concerns among Ukraine supporters in Washington about the future of U.S. aid under the Trump administration, even though there has been strong support in the U.S. Congress for continued or expanded aid to Ukraine. .
