The US has promised Kiev additional military aid by mid-January 2025

US presidential national security adviser Jake Sullivan at a meeting with the head of the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (his term expired on May 20), Andriy Yermak, promised him additional military assistance and support by mid-2025. This was reported by The Guardian newspaper on December 6.

"Sullivan <...> promised to provide Ukraine with hundreds of thousands of additional artillery shells, thousands of missiles and hundreds of armored vehicles by mid-January. The U.S. also promises to support Ukraine in solving personnel problems, offering to train new troops at facilities outside Ukraine's territory," the publication reads.

It is specified that this way the US authorities may try to "lay the groundwork for a future settlement" of the conflict, as well as to "strengthen Ukraine's position at the negotiating table".

Last step: West says loan to Kiev agreed from profits from frozen Russian assets

US shifts responsibility for Ukraine to allies

Earlier, on December 5, Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder said at a briefing that the United States had $9 billion for military aid to Kiev. He also stressed that the White House had instructed the US defense forces to "do everything possible to continue providing assistance to Ukraine".

On 4 December, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that $50bn from the USA and European Union countries would start flowing to Kiev in the coming weeks due to profits from frozen Russian assets.

Ukraine on Dec. 4 signed a memorandum of understanding and a loan agreement with the European Union to attract €35 billion in aid to Kiev, which are part of an initiative by the G7 countries on a mechanism for additional loans to boost Ukraine's budget revenues. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal also reported on November 28 that the EU had signed a memorandum of understanding with Ukraine for the first part of the €18.1 billion loan with repayment from the proceeds of frozen Russian assets.

Western countries have stepped up military and financial support for Ukraine amid Russia's special operation to protect Donbas, which was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on 24 February 2022 after the situation in the region worsened due to shelling by the Ukrainian military.