The United States will rush sending aid to Ukraine before Donald Trump takes office, according to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Blinken says the Biden administration is committed to ensuring “every dollar we have at our disposal” is pushed out to Ukraine before Trump’s inauguration in January.
The Secretary of State spoke to NATO and European Union allies this week to ensure that aid is still going to Ukraine. Doubts were raised that the aid would continue under the Trump administration once he won the election. Indeed, Trump’s ties with Vladimir Putin create a complicated relationship between the US and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. During his campaign, Trump strongly criticized the scale of the US effort to defend Kyiv.
“The purpose of this visit is to focus our efforts on ensuring that Ukraine has the money, the munitions, and the mobilized forces to fight effectively in 2025 or to be able to negotiate a peace from a position of strength,” Blinken told reporters in Brussels. The US Congress passed a $61B aid package bill for Ukraine earlier this year. Thus, they are still trying to fulfill the package while the Biden-Harris administration is still in control.
“The drawdowns that we can do from our military equipment, they will go forward. Obligating funds, that will go forward,” Blinken said, mentioning air defense, artillery, and armored vehicles.
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During his campaign, Trump reassured that he would put an end to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. According to him, it wouldn’t have escalated to its current point if he had won a second term in 2020. However, he has been far quieter in explaining how he would help Ukraine’s side of the war. Instead, he has said he would stop the war with a cease-fire altogether.
On Russia’s end, President Vladimir Putin has recently stated that he is “ready to speak” with Donald Trump following his win. Trump has spoken out against the presence of sanctions on Russia and even discussed lifting sanctions. Thus, he and the current administration likely have very contrasting viewpoints on any future aid going to Ukraine’s efforts.