The Biden administration on Thursday announced an additional $500 million in military aid to Ukraine, a security package rushed in before President-elect Trump took office.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin made the announcement during his final meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. Both officials used the opportunity to urge the incoming Trump administration to continue supporting Kyiv’s fight against Russia.
“If Putin swallows Ukraine, his appetite will only grow,” Austin said at the 25th meeting of about 50 member states working together to support Ukraine with an estimated $122 billion in arms and aid. “Dear,” he warned.
“If dictators conclude that democracy loses its nerve, abandons interests and forgets principles, there will only be more land grabs. It will only lead to chaos and war.”
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From left: German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin attend a Ukraine Contact Group meeting at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Thursday, January 9, 2025. (Marijan Murat/DPA via AP)
The latest U.S. security assistance to Ukraine includes missiles for fighter jets, support equipment for F-16s, armored bridging systems, small arms and ammunition, and other spare parts and communications equipment.
The arms package is being funded by the Presidential Financing Authority (PDA), which means the weapons will be sourced from the U.S. stockpile and will be quickly transported to Ukraine.
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Austin announced a new $500 million security package for Ukraine. (Marijan Murat/DPA, via AP)
Officials noted that this is the 74th piece of equipment the Biden administration has delivered to Ukraine from the Pentagon’s inventory since August 2021.
This latest package leaves approximately $3.85 billion in funding for future arms shipments to Ukraine. Unless the Biden administration makes any further announcements, that balance will be available for transfer by President Trump if he wishes.
Zelenskiy implored the incoming administration to continue U.S. support in the country’s defensive war against the Russian aggressor.
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Ruins of the city of Tretsk in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, December 19, 2024. (Photo: Ukrinform/NurPhoto, Getty Images)
“We have come a long way, so it would be honestly insane to give up the ball now and not continue to build the defense coalition that we have been building,” President Zelenskiy said. “No matter what’s going on in the world, everyone wants to have confidence that their country won’t just disappear from the map.”
Members of the coalition supporting Kiev, including the United States, have ramped up production of weapons since the Ukraine war showed their stockpiles were insufficient for a large-scale conventional ground war.
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The United States has provided approximately $66 billion of total aid since February 2022, and has already been able to provide most of that total (80% to 90%) to Ukraine.
“Withdrawal will only provide incentives for further imperialist aggression,” Austin said Thursday. “And if we falter, you can expect Putin to press harder and deliver a stronger punch. Ukraine’s survival is at stake. But so is the security of Europe, the United States, and the world. Same.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Chris Pandolfo is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital. Send your tips to chris.pandolfo@fox.com and follow us on Twitter @ChrisCPandolfo.
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