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The officials did not provide an exact dollar amount but said
the package was expected to be “substantial," although it would
not include all of the roughly $4 billion left in the
congressionally authorized funding for Ukraine. There likely
would be “more than a couple of billion dollars” remaining for
the incoming Trump defense team to provide to Ukraine if it
chose to do so, the officials said Tuesday in briefing reporters
traveling with Austin.
Ukraine is in the midst of launching a second offensive in
Russia's Kursk region and is facing a barrage of long-range
missiles and ongoing advances from Russia as both sides seek to
put themselves in the strongest negotiating point possible
before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20.
Biden defense officials working on Ukraine have been in contact
with Trump's transition team to discuss “all the issues that we
believe are important,” one of the officials said.
Austin's trip to Ramstein Air Base will be his final meeting
with the group he organized to come to Ukraine's defense after
Russia's invasion in February 2022. Together those nations have
provided more than $126 billion in weapons and military training
and assistance. Those packages have included millions of rounds
of ammunition, advanced fighter jets, air defense systems,
counter-UAV systems and even tanks.
The U.S. has provided $66 billion of that total.
The package to be announced on Thursday will be drawn from
existing stockpiles with a goal of getting most of the weapons
pledged to Ukraine by the time Trump is sworn in., one of the
defense officials said.
On Dec. 30, the administration announced a separate $1.25
billion aid package, part of a series of aid announcements as it
hurried to get as much military assistance to Ukraine as it can
before President Joe Biden leaves office. The officials said
roughly 80% to 90% of all stockpile equipment promised has
already been provided to Ukraine.
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