USA provides last military aid for Kiev for the time being
The USA is providing Ukraine with a further 250 billion dollars, primarily for air defense and artillery ammunition. This is the last aid package this year and the approved funds have been exhausted. It remains to be seen if and when the US Congress will approve further funds for Kiev.
The US government is providing Ukraine with further military aid amounting to 250 million US dollars (around 225 million euros) - meaning that the US funds approved to date have now been largely exhausted. This is the last package this year, announced US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The aid mainly includes ammunition - including 15 million rounds for smaller weapons as well as ammunition for air defense or the US HIMARS multiple rocket launcher. "Our aid was crucial in helping our Ukrainian partners defend their country and their freedom against Russian aggression," said Blinken.
The future of US support for the country attacked by Russia is completely open. The White House had already declared in mid-December that it only had funds for one more military aid package for Ukraine this year. It also said that the funds approved so far would be used up by the end of the year. In October, US President Joe Biden had already asked Congress for new aid for Kiev amounting to around 61 billion dollars, but to no avail.
Republicans want something in return
The release of further funds is currently being blocked by a dispute in the US Parliament between Republicans and Democrats. The Republicans are standing in the way of the approval of new aid because they are demanding that US President Joe Biden tighten asylum policy in the USA in return. It is unclear whether, how and when both parties will agree on new funds in the coming year. Biden had dampened the prospects of further US aid being approved quickly during a visit to Washington by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi two weeks ago. He admitted that he could make "no promises", but was hopeful that there would be an agreement in Congress. The House returns from winter recess on January 8.
In the meantime, the Democrat can try to reallocate funds from other areas for Ukraine. However, this will not enable him to provide the sums that would be necessary to support Ukraine on a large scale in the long term. The military budget passed by Congress also includes money for military aid for Ukraine - but only 300 million US dollars.
Biden gave Secretary of State Blinken the authority to decide whether it was important for the security interests of the USA to grant Ukraine up to 20 million US dollars in aid. The USA is Ukraine's most important ally in the fight against the Russian invasion. Since the start of the war in February 2022, the United States, under the leadership of Biden, has provided or pledged more than 44 billion US dollars in military aid to Kiev.
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Source: www.ntv.de
