Joe Biden planned to rush out billions of dollars in assistance to Ukraine before Donald Trump took office after the January 20 inauguration.
A senior administration official said that Biden plans to put Ukraine in the strongest position before his term ends in January.
Trump has been one of the major critics of Biden’s assistance to Ukraine, his victory in the election raised concerns about the support to Ukraine after Republicans took full control of the U.S. government.
Since January 2023, the U.S. House of Representatives has been under a narrow control by Republicans. The last time the Republican-controlled House approved aid, which included the authority for Biden to transfer weapons from U.S. stocks to Ukraine was in April, eight months after Biden first asked for additional aid, where the majority of support came from the Democrat side of the House.
$4.3 billion worth of weapon transfer remains, besides $2.8 billion from previous spending measures, and $2 billion in funding for the purchase of new weapons. In total, Biden still has $9 billion worth of military aid, which would be a huge boon if sent to Ukraine.
Biden’s plans for the last transfer were first reported by Politico. The administration did not immediately give any comment.
According to analysts, it is uncertain if the White House will continue its assistance to Ukraine once the Republicans take over, especially with Ukraine currently facing a setback on the front line.
