Biden further increases military aid to Ukraine

The US government has promised a new package of weapons to Ukraine. It is worth $500 million and includes Himars missile systems and missiles capable of disabling radar installations.

The commitment follows an announcement ten days ago in which Washington promised Ukraine a $725 million arms package, including missiles, ammunition and landmines.

President Biden appears to be doing everything he can to provide Ukraine with as much military support as possible before the end of his term. He still has more than $5 billion that he can release as president for military aid. The White House has already hinted that aid will continue to arrive for Ukraine until the end of Biden’s term.

Incoming President Trump said last week that Ukraine may be able to count on less American military support after taking office. In the TV program Meet the Press (NBC) he emphasized that the US has allocated much more money to Ukraine than Europe. According to Trump, it is up to Europe to correct this.

Trump has previously said he wants to end the war in Ukraine quickly, even within 24 hours. It is unclear how he plans to achieve this.

There have been increasing signs recently that talks about ending the war may begin this winter. Poland, one of Ukraine’s staunchest defenders, said this week it wants to play a role in negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. Poland will hold the EU presidency for six months from January 1.

Ukrainian President Zelensky has also indicated that he assumes negotiations are underway. He wants the West to support his country as much as possible in the run-up to this, in order to have a stronger seat at the discussion table.

In recent weeks, Russian troops have gained some ground in Ukraine. They are now approaching the strategically located city of Pokrovsk, a junction and military base.