As Biden’s tenure draws to a close, further arms deliveries will hinge on the outcome of the November election. Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to continue current policies on Ukraine if she wins the vote, whereas Republican nominee Donald Trump has threatened to cut aid to Kiev.
According to a fact sheet released by the Pentagon on Tuesday, since the start of the conflict between Kiev and Moscow in February 2022, the US has allocated more than $55.4 billion in aid to Ukraine.
The document lists an array of munitions for air defense, artillery, mortar systems, anti-tank and anti-ship missiles, tanks, helicopters, drones, and a wide array of other battlefield hardware.
On Monday, the Pentagon announced a new $1.7 billion package for Ukraine, consisting largely of air defense munitions, artillery and mortar rounds, small arms, and explosives. It represents the 62nd tranche of equipment to be provided from the Pentagon’s inventories for Ukraine and since August 2021, the DOD statement said.
Previously, aid proposals for Kiev have struggled to gain bipartisan support. A $61 billion package was stalled for months in Congress earlier this year due to opposition from Republicans, before being passed in April.
Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to scale back assistance to Kiev if elected. One of his key policy proposals is to structure the aid as a loan. He has also pledged to end the conflict within 24 hours of reclaiming office.
