The Pentagon announced yesterday new military aid to Ukraine worth about $988 million at a time when President Joe Biden's government is seeking to accelerate its efforts to support Kiev before Donald Trump's return to the White House on January 20, AFP reported, cited by BTA.
The new aid includes drones, munitions for the HYMARS missile systems and increased assistance for critically important equipment maintenance, the Pentagon said in a statement.
Donald Trump's victory in November's presidential election cast doubt on the future of US support for Ukraine, with the Republican president just weeks away from delivering billions of dollars in aid already budgeted for in the budget.
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The aid announced yesterday will be provided through a mechanism whereby military equipment is purchased from the defense industry or from partners, rather than being withdrawn from US stockpiles, and is therefore unlikely to be available to Ukraine in the short term, for to use it soon on the battlefield, says AFP.
Donald Trump, who yesterday met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris together with French President Emmanuel Macron, has been very critical of the billions of dollars the US is giving to Ukraine in recent months.
The president-elect promised to settle the war between Kiev and Moscow even before he was sworn in in January, without explaining how.
Ukraine's European allies fear a US disengagement from the conflict or even US pressure to reach an agreement to the detriment of Kiev, notes AFP.