Biden announces ‘surge’ in Ukraine military assistance

U.S. President Joe Biden gestures as he speaks during an event on gun violence in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC on September 26, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AFP

U.S. President Joe Biden announced on Thursday (September 26, 2024) a “surge” in assistance to Ukraine including nearly $8 billion in military aid and new long-range munitions ahead of a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Mr. Zelenskyy was due to present his “victory plan” in meetings with Mr. Biden and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday in Washington, where the U.S. president was expected to announce a boost in aid to Ukraine to support its fight against Russia.

“Today, I am announcing a surge in security assistance for Ukraine and a series of additional actions to help Ukraine win this war,” Mr. Biden said in a statement.

Mr. Biden pledged nearly $8 billion in military aid, including $5.5 billion to be authorized before it expires at the end of the U.S. fiscal year on Monday.

Another $2.4 billion was pledged via the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), meaning it will not immediately arrive on the battlefield, as the munitions need to be procured from the defense industry or partners, rather than drawn from U.S. stockpiles.

Mr. Biden also announced Washington would provide Ukraine with the Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) long-range munition, “to enhance Ukraine’s long-range strike capabilities.”

However, the statement did not mention Kyiv’s hoped-for permission to launch U.S.-made long-range missiles into Russia.

Mr. Zelenskyy has been pushing the United States hard to give the green light for Ukraine to fire deeper into Russian territory – permission Mr. Biden has so far refused.

Russia has strongly warned against such a step. President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday unveiled new proposed rules that would permit Moscow to use nuclear weapons in response to a massive air attack.

Kyiv has relied on the United States as its main military backer.

However, the knife-edge U.S. election on November 5 pitting Harris against Republican Donald Trump — who has questioned why the United States has given billions of dollars to Ukraine – means that support may now hang in the balance.

Mr. Biden, in his last months in office, also said he would convene a high-level meeting of Ukraine allies in Germany in October “to coordinate the efforts of the more than 50 countries supporting Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression.”