US to provide Ukraine with US$7.1bn in military aid before Biden's term ends – Pentagon

The United States plans to ship US$7.1 billion worth of military aid to Ukraine from the Pentagon's stockpile before the end of President Joe Biden's term.

Source: Pentagon website, citing Deputy Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh; Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne

Quote from Singh: "The President has said he's committed to getting about US$7.1 billion in PDA [Presidential Drawdown Authority] to Ukraine before his administration ends."

Details: She stressed that the administration is actively working to fulfil this pledge and is developing large aid packages that would be delivered to Ukraine almost every week.

Quote from Singh: "The president made clear that he wants to spend down the authority that Congress has allocated and authorised before he leaves office."

Details: The spokesperson added that the Pentagon is actively replenishing its stockpile to maintain a high level of US readiness while also ensuring that Ukraine has the resources needed to succeed on the battlefield.

Quote: "You've seen us roll out very large packages from the beginning and, actually, I'd say, a range of packages on a pretty frequent basis, almost weekly.

So, I expect that for the next coming months of this administration, you're going to continue to see those packages draw down from what's available in our stockpiles."

Background: 

• Reports indicated that Biden would continue to stress the need to support Ukraine until the end of his term in office, given Donald Trump's election victory.
• The Biden administration, which will remain in place until the new president is inaugurated, intends to send a request to Congress for new aid to Ukraine for the 2025 fiscal year.
• Media reports indicated earlier that the US planned to send Ukraine interceptor missiles for the Patriot and NASAMS air defence systems, which should be enough until the end of 2024.

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