Biden unveils final $2.5B security aid package for Ukraine

KYIV — United States President Joe Biden announced nearly $2.5 billion in security assistance for Ukraine on Monday, his administration’s last such aid package of 2024.

“Since Russia launched its further assault against Ukraine in February 2022, the United States has rallied the world to stand with the Ukrainian people, and it has been a top priority of mine to provide Ukraine with the support it needs to prevail,” Biden said in a statement.

“Today’s announcement—which includes an additional $1.25 billion drawdown package for the Ukrainian military and a $1.22 billion Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) package—builds on this effort and will provide Ukraine with both an immediate influx of capabilities that it continues to use to great effect on the battlefield and longer-term supplies of air defense, artillery, and other critical weapons systems,” Biden added.

Officially, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy celebrated Biden’s decision as significant support for Ukrainian soldiers that would help to stabilize the frontlines.  

“Every additional supply from our partners means more saved lives of our soldiers. We are also working to ensure that other partners maintain their support at the necessary level,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X on Sunday.

However, the increased pace of U.S. aid in Biden’s last three months in office has left a bittersweet taste in Kyiv, with some questioning why this level and speed of support could not have been delivered earlier on in the year.

“We are very grateful, of course, but it would be really useful if the Biden administration had done what they are doing now earlier like we have been convincing them to do exactly that for a long time,” an official familiar with the matter told POLITICO, granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive diplomatic matter.

The U.S. remains Ukraine’s largest single-country donor. With this final aid package, the defense department has now allocated all remaining USAI funds appropriated by Congress in the $60 billion supplemental signed in April, after more than nine months of blockage.

While waiting on this last package, Kyiv has overspent its military budget, which in addition to the military aid coming from different EU countries was still not enough to supply the 1,500 km frontline of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The Kremlin, bolstered by military aid from Iran and North Korea, started its all-out offensive against Kyiv in May. Over the course of 2024, Moscow seized 2,800 square kilometers of Ukrainian territories, the Telegram channel UA War Infographics Analytics reported.  

Although last year Kyiv was eager to win back all the territories Russia occupied, Zelenskyy recently conceded Ukraine does not have the means to do that by force. It is still unclear whether U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will continue military aid for Kyiv, with the upcoming U.S. administration seemingly more focused on settling the conflict through compromise.

Biden has directed his administration to surge as much assistance as possible to Ukraine before the close of his term in office — including drawing down older U.S. equipment, rapidly delivering it to Ukraine’s battlefield, then revitalizing the U.S. defense industrial base to modernize and replenish stockpiles with new weapons.

“The Department of Defense is in the process of delivering hundreds of thousands of artillery rounds, thousands of rockets, and hundreds of armored vehicles which will strengthen Ukraine’s hand as it heads into the winter,” Biden said, stating the U.S. will continue to work relentlessly to strengthen Ukraine’s position in this war before Trump takes office on Jan. 20.