Pentagon: Trump Set to Assume Control of Biden's Unused Ukraine Aid Funds
The US president-elect possesses “a few billion dollars” that he may choose to provide to Kiev, according to a statement from the US Defense Department. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
The Pentagon has announced that US President Joe Biden will not be able to fully utilize his allocated military aid for Ukraine before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, resulting in a few billion dollars remaining for the incoming administration to decide how to allocate to Kiev.
Since the start of the conflict with Russia in February 2022, Ukraine has received a total of $122 billion in military, financial, and humanitarian assistance from the US, as per the latest Pentagon figures. This military aid has primarily come from two sources: a series of congressional spending bills and the Presidential Drawdown Authority, a Congressional fund that allows Biden to send weapons and ammunition directly from US reserves to Ukraine.
The Biden administration has executed 72 transfers of arms to Ukraine utilizing this authority, with the most recent package announced by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Thursday, which included $500 million worth of anti-air missiles, artillery shells, and air-to-ground missiles.
While this package marks the final military aid tranche sent to Ukraine under the Presidential Drawdown Authority, the fund itself is not completely depleted, according to Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh, who briefed reporters on Wednesday.
“There will be a few billion dollars in authority left for the incoming administration to decide what they decide to do with that remaining authority,” Singh stated.
Although she did not confirm the exact amount that will be transferred to Trump’s administration, a reporter at the briefing estimated the figure at $4.8 billion, a claim Singh did not dispute.
Singh added that the Pentagon was unable to expend the full amount available under the Presidential Drawdown Authority because “we were not able to resupply our own stocks” quickly enough to replace the weapons sent to Ukraine.
Trump has vowed to resolve the Ukraine conflict swiftly once he assumes office. He has provided limited details on his approach but indicated he would meet with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to facilitate negotiations.
Media reports have suggested that Trump’s team may advocate for a freeze of the conflict at the current battle lines. However, Moscow has expressed its desire not to merely pause the situation but rather to conclude the conflict entirely, which Kiev could view as an opportunity to rearm for future engagements.
Trump is anticipated to leverage ongoing US aid as a means to compel Zelensky to engage in negotiations. When asked by NBC News last month whether Ukraine should “prepare for less aid from the United States” post-inauguration, Trump responded, "Possibly. Yeah, probably, sure."
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
Since the start of the conflict with Russia in February 2022, Ukraine has received a total of $122 billion in military, financial, and humanitarian assistance from the US, as per the latest Pentagon figures. This military aid has primarily come from two sources: a series of congressional spending bills and the Presidential Drawdown Authority, a Congressional fund that allows Biden to send weapons and ammunition directly from US reserves to Ukraine.
The Biden administration has executed 72 transfers of arms to Ukraine utilizing this authority, with the most recent package announced by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Thursday, which included $500 million worth of anti-air missiles, artillery shells, and air-to-ground missiles.
While this package marks the final military aid tranche sent to Ukraine under the Presidential Drawdown Authority, the fund itself is not completely depleted, according to Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh, who briefed reporters on Wednesday.
“There will be a few billion dollars in authority left for the incoming administration to decide what they decide to do with that remaining authority,” Singh stated.
Although she did not confirm the exact amount that will be transferred to Trump’s administration, a reporter at the briefing estimated the figure at $4.8 billion, a claim Singh did not dispute.
Singh added that the Pentagon was unable to expend the full amount available under the Presidential Drawdown Authority because “we were not able to resupply our own stocks” quickly enough to replace the weapons sent to Ukraine.
Trump has vowed to resolve the Ukraine conflict swiftly once he assumes office. He has provided limited details on his approach but indicated he would meet with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to facilitate negotiations.
Media reports have suggested that Trump’s team may advocate for a freeze of the conflict at the current battle lines. However, Moscow has expressed its desire not to merely pause the situation but rather to conclude the conflict entirely, which Kiev could view as an opportunity to rearm for future engagements.
Trump is anticipated to leverage ongoing US aid as a means to compel Zelensky to engage in negotiations. When asked by NBC News last month whether Ukraine should “prepare for less aid from the United States” post-inauguration, Trump responded, "Possibly. Yeah, probably, sure."
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
