US announces nearly $1 bn in new military aid for Ukraine

The United States has announced a new $988 million security assistance package for Ukraine as Washington races to provide aid to Kyiv before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

Trump’s November election victory cast doubts on the future of American aid for Ukraine, providing a limited window for billions of dollars in already authorized assistance to be provided before he is sworn in next month.

The package features drones, ammunition for precision HIMARS rocket launchers, and equipment and spare parts for artillery systems, tanks and armoured vehicles, the Pentagon said in a statement.

The US said the aid will be funded via the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, under which military equipment is procured from the defence industry or partners rather than drawn from American stocks, meaning it will not immediately arrive on the battlefield.

The aid comes after a $725 million package announced on Monday that included a second tranche of landmines as well as anti-air and anti-armour weapons.

The outgoing US administration is working to get as much aid as possible to Ukraine before Trump who has repeatedly criticized US assistance for Kyiv and claimed he could secure a ceasefire within hours takes over.

Trump’s comments have triggered fears in Kyiv and Europe about the future of US aid, and Ukraine’s ability to withstand Russian attacks in the absence of continued American support.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Saturday warned that failing to keep opposing Russia’s actions would have dire consequences.

“We can continue to stand up to the Kremlin. Or we can let (Russian President Vladimir) Putin have his way — and condemn our children and grandchildren to live in a world of chaos and conflict,” Austin told the Reagan National Defense Forum in California.

“This administration has made its choice. And so has a bipartisan coalition in Congress. The next administration must make its own choice.”

“Here is the stark military fact: our allies and partners are huge force multipliers,” Austin said.

“Ultimately, America is weaker when it stands alone. And America is smaller when it stands apart,” he said. “There is no such thing as a safe retreat from today’s interwoven world.”