Pentagon chief announces $500m military aid package for Ukraine

TheUSA will allocate a new military aid package of $500m to Ukraine, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said on 9 January.

According to the Associated Press (AP), the package will include missiles for fighter jets, equipment to support F-16 flights, armored bridge systems, as well as ammunition and small arms.

It is noted that the Pentagon aims to deliver weapons to Ukraine by the end of January.

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

The day before, a senior Pentagon official told reporters that the team of US President Joe Biden will not have time to transfer military aid worth more than $2 billion to Ukraine before the inauguration of the country's elected leader Donald Trump on January 20. He pointed out that the United States administration is constantly working on the transfer of military aid to Ukraine, including on holidays and weekends.

Duma deputy Alexander Tolmachev in a conversation with Izvestia on December 26, 2024, drew attention to the fact 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.

Western countries have stepped up military and financial support for Ukraine against the background of Russia's special operation to protect Donbas, 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.