Biden Commits: $6 billion Ukraine Aid Before January 20th

It is more than enough to sustain Ukraine through 2025

It may have been a blessing in disguise. The American decision to send Donald Trump to the White House prompted the current administration to allocate the entire remaining $6 billion in Ukraine aid.

The full details of the allotment are yet to be disclosed. For now, the Pentagon has stated it will commit the full amount before January 20th.

A significant portion of that amount, approximately $4 billion, remains under the Presidential Drawdown Authority. This means that, if the United States so decides, it can immediately deliver the weapons. Once President Biden signs off, the U.S. Department of Defense retrieves the weapons from its stockpile and sends them to Ukraine.

On paper, this process is feasible right away, but bureaucratic delays often slow things down.

“Some things can arrive within days and weeks. Some items in those packages take longer,” Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh stated during a press conference on November 7th. “It does matter what’s available on our stock, on our shelves. You’re going to see us continue to draw that down pretty frequently. Could there be things that go out beyond Jan. 20? I can’t say for certain right now.”

If there’s a significant backlog of items to be delivered after January 20th, it could be problematic. There’s no way to predict how the incoming Trump administration will approach the situation. Perhaps they will follow through on deliveries, or perhaps they won’t. Taking that risk makes no sense.

However, if the Biden administration takes decisive action — acting as though it is at war itself — and delivers the entire pot of weapons before January 20th, it would provide a substantial boost to Ukraine. $4 billion is a massive sum that could dramatically enhance Ukraine’s combat power.

The next aid package cleared by the United States must be a significant one. The sooner the announcement is made, the easier it will be for American bureaucracy to start the process. Someone needs to step up, take ownership, and ensure the weapons are delivered before the clock strikes January 20th.

It is increasingly evident that the Russian economy is in dire straits and cannot sustain the war into mid-2025. Putin will try, but if he starts losing elevated numbers of troops over the next two to three months, his economic position will weaken further.

The Biden administration now has a tremendous opportunity to tip the scales in Ukraine’s favor. They can provide an immediate surge in aid, with Europe contributing to amplify the effort. Supplying Ukraine with all the weapons it needs to fight for another six months, and lifting restrictions on long-range weapons, will turn the tide.

This would force Putin to make a critical choice between sustaining the Russian state or continuing the war. While he hasn’t reached that point yet, he could be pushed closer if Ukraine begins to decimate Russian forces on the battlefield. Putin cannot sustain losses of 2,000 troops a day for three months. Over the past week alone, his forces have been losing more than 1,500 troops daily.

I think the Biden admin will do it. They really don’t have a choice. Biden will try to leave the White House on a high. Europe and Ukraine has to make full use of that desire.

Thanks for reading. The war is getting closer to the end. Now, more than ever, it’s crucial to make critical information about Ukraine accessible. That’s why I’ve made 330 stories available to the public in 2024, including this one.