Biden readies 725 million USD arms aid package for Ukraine, sources say
(VOVWORLD) - US President Joe Biden's administration is preparing a 725 million USD weapons package for Ukraine, two US officials said on Wednesday, as the outgoing president seeks to bolster the government in Kyiv before leaving office in January.
 US President Joe Biden leaves after delivering remarks from the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, US, November 26, 2024. (REUTERS/Nathan Howard/File Photo) |
According to an official familiar with the plan, the Biden administration plans to provide a variety of anti-tank weapons from US stocks, including land mines, drones, Stinger missiles and ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS). The package is also expected to include cluster munitions.
It marks a steep uptick in size from Biden's recent use of so-called Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), which allows the US to draw from current weapons stocks to help allies in an emergency.
Biden has an estimated 4 billion to 5 billion USD in PDA already authorized by Congress that he is expected to use before President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January.