US Announces New $988 Million Arms Funding Package for Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky (L) speak next to the first batch of Ukrainian-made drone missiles "Peklo" (Hell) delivered to the Defence Forces of Ukraine in Kyiv on Dec. 6, 2024. Genya Savilov/AFP via Getty Images)

The Department of Defense announced on Dec. 7 that it will send another $988 million funding package to bolster Ukrainian forces in the ongoing war with Russia.

The military support package comes through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), a Pentagon program for purchasing new military equipment.

In a statement, the Pentagon announced that this new round of support will provide funding for ammunition for Western-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems. The funding package will also go toward purchases of additional unmanned aerial systems, and spare parts for artillery systems, tanks, and other armored vehicles.

The Pentagon stated that this latest funding package is the 22nd time that President Joe Biden’s administration has provided support to Ukraine through the USAI.

“The United States will continue to work together with some 50 Allies and partners through the Ukraine Defense Contact Group and its associated capability coalitions to provide the support Ukraine needs to win the war,” the Pentagon stated.

The Pentagon announced the new funding package just days after the Biden administration announced a $725 million military aid package under the presidential drawdown authority (PDA).

The PDA is a separate authority that the Biden administration has used to support Ukraine throughout the war. Instead of providing funding, the PDA allows the president to supply foreign recipients directly with weapons pulled from U.S. stockpiles, with the PDA account covering the cost to replace those weapons that are leaving U.S. stockpiles.

The Biden administration has signaled that it’s working to send as much aid to Ukraine as possible before Biden’s presidential term ends in January.

President-elect Donald Trump has indicated that he prefers to negotiate an end to the fighting, although the outline of a cease-fire deal remains to be seen. Questions remain around whether Trump will continue to flow weapons and funding to Ukraine while he also pushes for negotiations.

In the month since Trump won the Nov. 5 presidential election, the Biden administration has announced multiple drawdowns under the PDA. The administration has also agreed to supply Ukrainian forces with anti-personnel landmines, reversing its earlier position against supplying such weapons.

The Pentagon also recently confirmed that it would begin contracting for specialists to help Ukrainian forces maintain their military equipment. The Pentagon has stated that these American contractors would not operate on or near the frontlines but would instead remain in the background to repair military equipment requiring specialized technical expertise.

Even as the Biden administration is surging support, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has indicated that he’s open to an end to the war.

On Nov. 29, the Ukrainian leader signaled that he would agree to “stop the hot phase of the war” if the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) extended alliance membership to the parts of Ukraine not currently under Russian control. Zelenskyy also suggested that Ukraine could negotiate at a later time for pre-war Ukrainian territory currently under Russian control.

In an interview on Dec. 6, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia remains opposed to Ukrainian membership in NATO.