In a significant move, President Joe Biden has unveiled over $8 billion in military aid aimed at assisting Ukraine in its struggle against Russian aggression. This announcement coincided with a visit from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, marking a pivotal moment in the U.S.’s commitment to supporting Ukraine’s defense efforts.
The package features the debut shipment of a precision-guided glide bomb, known as the Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW), which boasts an impressive range of up to 130 kilometers. This medium-range missile will elevate Ukraine’s capabilities, allowing them to engage Russian forces from safer distances while maintaining high accuracy.
These bombs are designed to be deployed from fighter jets, giving Ukrainian forces a critical advantage. “Supporting Ukraine, which endured invasion by Russia in February 2022, has become the U.S.’s undeniable priority,” Biden asserted in his statement.
“Hence, I am revealing a significant escalation in our security support for Ukraine along with several strategic actions intended to bolster their capabilities in this conflict,” Biden declared, as he approaches the conclusion of his presidency in January.
The majority of the newly announced assistance—amounting to $5.5 billion—will be disbursed before the end of the U.S. fiscal year on Monday, a deadline that necessitates immediate action due to the expiration of funding authority. Furthermore, an additional allocation of $2.4 billion falls under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which permits the government to procure weapons directly from manufacturers rather than depleting U.S. reserves.
This initiative will enhance Ukraine’s air defense systems, supply unmanned aerial systems, and ensure the delivery of various air-to-ground munitions. Additionally, it aims to fortify Ukraine’s domestic defense industry and support its ongoing maintenance needs, stated Biden with confidence.
In line with this strategy, the Defense Department will refurbish and deliver another Patriot air defense system along with more Patriot missiles to Ukraine. Furthermore, the President has directed the Pentagon to intensify training programs for Ukrainian pilots flying F-16s, including the introduction of 18 additional pilots next year.
To thwart Russian efforts to evade sanctions and combat money laundering, the administration plans to disrupt what Biden referred to as “a global cryptocurrency network,” in collaboration with international partners. “Next month, I intend to convene a gathering of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Germany, bringing together leaders from over 50 nations all dedicated to supporting Ukraine,” he added.
Before his White House meeting with Biden, Zelensky is set to confer with Democratic and Republican leaders at the Capitol. In the U.S., support for Ukraine’s defense has mostly enjoyed bipartisan backing. Yet, the extent of Republican engagement with Zelensky remains uncertain, especially in light of rising criticisms from party heavyweights, including Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
Trump has been vocal about his disdain for Zelensky during his campaign for the upcoming November elections and has, for the moment, declined a meeting request from the Ukrainian leader. “We are continuously funneling immense funds to a leader unwilling to negotiate, Zelensky,” Trump remarked at a rally in North Carolina.
Moreover, he criticized President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, attributing blame to them for enabling the invasion of Russia. Many Republican lawmakers expressed outrage over Zelensky’s recent visit to a munitions factory in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Biden’s hometown, and the Republican-led House Oversight Committee has initiated an investigation into that trip.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, not expected to meet Zelensky, expressed demands for his ambassador to Washington to be dismissed for organizing the visit, although he clarified that this was not a threat to withdraw military assistance.
In the meantime, the Kremlin has signaled a change in Russia’s nuclear policy under President Vladimir Putin, framing it as a clarion call to Western nations regarding potential consequences for involvement in assaults on Russia. Putin stated that Russia could deploy nuclear weapons if faced with conventional missile attacks and reiterated that any aggression supported by a nuclear-armed power would be perceived as a collective assault.
The alteration to Russia’s nuclear doctrine emerges as a response to ongoing discussions in the U.S. and Britain regarding whether to permit Ukraine to launch Western conventional missiles towards Russia. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov elaborated that updates to the document titled “The Foundations of State Policy in the Sphere of Nuclear Deterrence” had been crafted.
When queried on whether these changes served as a warning to the West, Peskov affirmed, “This should be taken as a definite signal.” He elaborated, “This serves as a cautionary note to those countries about the repercussions they might face if they embark on attacks against our nation, through various means—not exclusively nuclear ones.”
Peskov asserted that the global community is witnessing an unprecedented confrontation spurred by the “direct interference of Western nations, including those armed with nuclear capabilities,” in the conflict in Ukraine.
