President Joe Biden allocated another $8 billion in Ukraine-related military aid on Sept. 26, in hopes of providing his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with as much support as possible before he leaves office.
“I have directed the Department of Defense to allocate all of its remaining security assistance funding that has been appropriated for Ukraine by the end of my term in office,” Biden said a Thursday morning press statement.
Biden said he’d allocated $5.5 billion in military aid through the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA). The PDA is an account that allows the president to draw from existing U.S. military stocks to send to a foreign beneficiary. Congress sets the budget for the PDA account on an annual basis, and it expires each fiscal year.
Biden said he wanted allocated this $5.5. billion tranche in order to “fully utilize the funding appropriated by Congress” before it expires at the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30.
Biden said another $2.4 billion in U.S. military aid for Ukraine will come from Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. He said this funding will “provide Ukraine with additional air defense, Unmanned Aerial Systems, and air-to-ground munitions.” He said this section of the funding would also support equipment maintenance, and help build Ukraine’s military production industry.
Pilot Training and New Weapons
Biden said the $8 billion package includes transfers of Patriot surface-to-air and AMRAAM air-to-air missile systems, useful for intercepting Russian aircraft and munitions targeting Ukraine.
The U.S. president said the package will also include funding to expand training for Ukrainian F-16 pilots. He aims to train up to 18 new Ukrainian F-16 pilots in the next fiscal year.
Zelenskyy has tried to rapidly expand Ukraine’s F-16 fleet and train pilots to operate the U.S.-made multi-role fighter jets. He has even suggested Ukraine could recruit retired qualified pilots from North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) nations to fly for Ukraine.
For now, Ukraine has a limited number of F-16s and qualified pilots. Last month, the Ukrainian Air Force confirmed one of its F-16’s was downed, resulting in the death of one of its qualified pilots.
The new $8 billion funding allotment will also include new longer-range strike weapons for Ukraine.
“To enhance Ukraine’s long-range strike capabilities, I have decided to provide Ukraine with the Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) long-range munition,” Biden said.
The JSOW is a glide-bomb system with a maximum range of about 80 miles.
Zelenskyy has repeatedly called for the United States to provide Ukraine with longer-ranged weapons and grant permission for Ukrainian forces to use these long-ranged weapons to strike deep within Russian territory. Biden has resisted these requests thus far, but has permitted cross-border strikes to hit Russian targets supporting attacks in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy’s ‘Victory Plan’
Zelenskyy is expected to share a so-called “victory plan” with Biden on Thursday, detailing how he thinks he can drive back Russian forces. He has said the plan will require swift action from his western backers, particularly the United States. The Ukrainian leader may also position long-range strikes in Russia as a key component of the victory plan.
The White House announced Biden and Zelenskyy met briefly on Wednesday to preview this victory plan. Zelenskyy has provided limited details about the proposal thus far.
Zelenskyy has said he will also share his victory plan with former President Donald Trump. Trump, who is seeking a return to the White House, has been more skeptical about continuing to support Ukraine militarily.
At a Wednesday campaign rally, Trump said the war has proved devastating for Ukraine and could’ve been avoided.
“There’s really nothing for the Ukrainian people to move back to and it didn’t need to happen,” Trump told an audience in North Carolina. “Those buildings are down. Those cities are gone. They’re gone. And we continue to give billions of dollars to a man who refuses to make a deal; Zelenskyy.”
Earlier this month, Trump’s running mate—Sen. JD Vance (R-OH)—said a peace plan could entail the establishment of a fortified demilitarized zone along the existing battle lines. Vance said Trump could also support a deal that sees Ukraine retain its independence in exchange for a commitment that it won’t become a part of NATO.
Responding in an interview with The New Yorker this week, Zelenskyy called Vance “too radical.” He also lamented Ukraine having to “shoulder the costs of stopping the war by giving up its territories.”
This article was originally published by FreeBase News and is reprinted with permission.
