Politics

Biden rushing military aid to Ukraine before Trump takes helm



Citing unnamed sources, Reuters said that the Biden administration intends to quickly provide billions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine before the 81-year-old president’s term concludes in January.

“The administration plans to push forward … to put Ukraine in the strongest position possible” said a senior administration official, stressing that the move is an attempt to shore up the government in Kiev before Trump’s January 20 inauguration as he is expected to largely block the flow of US aid to the ex-Soviet republic.

Trump has time and again criticized Biden’s support for Ukraine, raising concerns about the future of aid for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s government if Republicans control the White House, Senate, and potentially the House of Representatives, according to Press TV.

Since January last year, Republicans have held a narrow majority in the House. However, as of Wednesday afternoon, it remained uncertain whether they had secured enough seats in Tuesday’s elections to prevent Democrats from gaining a slim majority.

The Republican-led House last approved aid for Ukraine in April, granting Biden the authority to transfer billions in American weapons. This approval came eight months after he initially requested additional aid and was backed by more Democrats than Republicans.

Of the weapons transfer authority approved in April, $4.3 billion remains, along with $2.8 billion in transfers previously approved by legislators in past spending bills and $2 billion designated for purchasing new weapons from manufacturers. Altogether, this $9 billion in military aid would provide a substantial boost to Ukraine’s resources.

According to the report, Biden’s plans for the transfers were first reported by the Virginia-headquartered digital newspaper Politico.

In the coming months, the US will keep supplying Ukraine with munitions and anti-tank weapons such as the Lockheed Martin and RTX Javelin.

Russia launched what it called a special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022 partly to prevent NATO’s eastward expansion after warning that the US-led military alliance was following an “aggressive line” against Moscow.

Russia has repeatedly warned against the flow of Western weapons to Ukraine, saying it prolongs the conflict.

MNA



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