According to a senior White House official cited by CNN, the goal is to transfer a historic level of arms shipments in the final five weeks leading up to January 20, when Biden will hand over power to President-elect Donald Trump.
Expedited Weapons Deliveries
Administration officials are working tirelessly to ensure that previously pledged weapons reach Ukraine by Inauguration Day. This approach aims to reinforce Ukraine’s defense capabilities ahead of any potential change in U.S. policy under the incoming administration.
“From today until mid-January, we will deliver hundreds of thousands of artillery shells, thousands of missiles, hundreds of armored vehicles, and other critical assets to Ukraine,” the senior White House official told CNN. “This represents an unprecedented effort by the Department of Defense to transfer a huge volume of weaponry in a very short timeframe.”
Recent Aid Packages
On December 12, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced a new $500 million military assistance package for Ukraine. This latest tranche of aid includes ammunition for HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems, defense equipment to counter drones, and an array of 105 mm and 155 mm artillery shells.
This marks the third aid package provided by the Biden administration to Ukraine since the start of December 2024. On December 3, the U.S. allocated $725 million in aid, followed by another $988 million on December 7.
Concerns About Future Support
President-elect Donald Trump is scheduled to be inaugurated on January 20, 2025. Officials in the Biden administration have expressed concerns that under Trump, arms supplies to Ukraine might be significantly reduced or halted entirely. This reduction in assistance could be part of a strategy to encourage Kyiv to pursue negotiations with Russia.
As the Biden administration races against the clock, the upcoming weeks are poised to be critical for Ukraine’s defense capabilities, potentially shaping the country’s security environment in the early months of the next U.S. presidency.
