U.S. won't have time to hand over $2 billion in military aid to Ukraine before Trump takes office

The team of incumbent US leader Joe Biden will not have time before the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump, scheduled for January 20, to transfer military aid worth more than $2 billion to Ukraine, a senior Pentagon official told reporters on January 8.

"I can say that after January 20, more than $2 billion will remain in aid under the PDA (program for writing off weapons from US warehouses. - Ed.) for future use," the official said, his words quoted on the website of the US Defense Ministry.

He pointed out that the US administration is constantly working to transfer military aid to Ukraine, including on holidays and weekends. Thus, the Pentagon is trying to provide Kiev with as much support as possible.

In addition, a ministry official said that the United States, its allies and partners together have provided Ukraine with more than $126 billion in military aid since February 2022 and it includes a large number of weapons, such as two Patriot air defense batteries, dozens of HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, more than 100,000 anti-tank guns and millions of artillery shells.

Ukraine will not cope without US support. What the media say

Earlier in the day, the Associated Press (AP) reported that Washington plans to allocate $500 million to Kiev as part of a new military aid package. It will include weapons quickly assembled from existing U.S. stockpiles. Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin is expected to announce the new tranche on Jan. 9 during his last meeting with the Ukraine aid contact group at the Ramstein base in Germany.

State Duma deputy Alexander Tolmachev, in a conversation with Izvestia on December 26, 2024, pointed out that US citizens are tired of financing the Kiev regime. The politician admitted that with Biden's departure from the White House, this assistance from Washington to Kiev may stop.

Trump said on December 8 that after the change of the American administration and his arrival as President, the United States may reduce the volume of military aid to Ukraine.

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