US announces nearly 1bn USD in new military aid for Ukraine
Views: 361Published on: 09-Dec-2024
PARIS: US President-elect Donald Trump (center left) shakes hands with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky inside Notre-Dame Cathedral. AFP
WASHINGTON: The United States on Saturday announced a new $988 million security assistance package for Ukraine as Washington races to provide aid to Kyiv before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Trump’s November election victory has cast doubt on the future of American aid for Ukraine, providing a limited window for billions of dollars in already authorized assistance to be disbursed before he is sworn in next month.
The package features drones, ammunition for precision HIMARS rocket launchers, and equipment and spare parts for artillery systems, tanks and armored vehicles, the Pentagon said in a statement. Trump met in Paris earlier Saturday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who said any resolution of the war with Russia should be a “just” settlement that includes “strong security guarantees for Ukraine.” The meeting was of huge importance to Zelensky, given fears in Kyiv that Trump may urge Ukraine to make concessions to Moscow.
The latest aid will be funded via the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, under which military equipment is procured from the defense industry or partners rather than drawn from American stocks, meaning it will not immediately arrive on the battlefield. It follows a $725 million package announced on Monday that included a second tranche of landmines as well as anti-air and anti-armor weapons. The outgoing administration of President Joe Biden is working to get as much aid as possible to Ukraine before Trump -- who has repeatedly criticized US assistance for Kyiv and claimed he could secure a ceasefire within hours -- takes over.
Trump’s comments have triggered fears in Kyiv and Europe about the future of US aid, and Ukraine’s ability to withstand Russian attacks in the absence of further American support. “Our job has been to try and put Ukraine in the strongest possible position on the battlefield so that it is in the strongest possible position at the negotiating table,” National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Saturday. In the closing weeks of Biden’s term, the goal is “a massive surge of assistance and to up the economic pressure on Russia,” he said.
America ‘weaker’ alone
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Saturday warned that failure to continue opposing Russia’s actions would have dire consequences. “We can continue to stand up to the Kremlin. Or we can let (Russian President Vladimir) Putin have his way - and condemn our children and grandchildren to live in a world of chaos and conflict,” said Austin, who like Sullivan was speaking at the Reagan National Defense Forum in California. “This administration has made its choice. And so has a bipartisan coalition in Congress. The next administration must make its own choice.”
The defense chief also emphasized the importance of US allies and partners in his remarks -- a contrast to Trump’s go-it-alone “America first” world view. “Here is the stark military fact: our allies and partners are huge force multipliers,” Austin said. “Ultimately, America is weaker when it stands alone. And America is smaller when it stands apart,” he said. “There is no such thing as a safe retreat from today’s interwoven world.”
Ukraine Ready for ‘deal’
Meanwhile, US president-elect Donald Trump said on Sunday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is keen on a “deal” to end the war with Russia, after the pair met in Paris to discuss the future of the conflict. French President Emmanuel Macron hosted three-way talks with Zelensky and Trump at the Elysee Palace on Saturday, as fears grow in Kyiv about the position of the incoming US administration. Trump has openly scoffed at the billions of dollars in military assistance being sent to Ukraine and once boasted he could end the conflict in 24 hours.
“Zelenskyy (sic) and Ukraine would like to make a deal and stop the madness,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin. Too many lives are being so needlessly wasted, too many families destroyed, and if it keeps going, it can turn into something much bigger, and far worse.” Hours after the trio’s meeting, the outgoing administration of US President Joe Biden announced a new $988-million military assistance package for Ukraine. The package features drones, ammunition for precision HIMARS rocket launchers, and equipment and spare parts for artillery systems, tanks and armored vehicles, the Pentagon said.
In Ukraine there is concern that Trump may urge domestically unpopular concessions to bring about peace. Zelensky insisted any settlement with Russia had to be equitable. “We all want peace. But it is very important for us... that the peace is just for all of us and that Russia, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin or any other aggressor has no possibility of ever returning,” Zelensky said according to the presidential website. “And this is the most important thing - a just peace and security guarantees, strong security guarantees for Ukraine,” he added.
But Zelensky also thanked Trump for his “unwavering resolve” describing the talks as “good and productive”. Zelensky’s meeting with Trump, just before both attended the re-opening ceremony of the Notre Dame cathedral, was his first face-to-face encounter with the tycoon-turned-politician since his US election victory. It also offered a unique chance for Macron to gain insights into how a second Trump presidency will look when he takes office in January. The trip to Paris is Trump’s first international visit since his November 5 election win.
‘Going a little crazy’
Trump and Macron embraced and shook hands several times on the steps of the French presidential palace. Trump was given a full guard of honor despite not yet being in office. “It seems like the world is going a little crazy right now and we will be talking about that,” Trump told reporters as he prepared to sit down for the talks with Macron. Despite tensions between the two men during his first term, Trump hailed his ties with the centrist French leader, saying: “We had a great relationship as everyone knows. We accomplished a lot.”
Macron told Trump it was “a great honor for French people to welcome you” for the re-opening ceremony at Notre Dame, which was devastated by a blaze in 2019 during Trump’s first term. “You were president at that time and I remember the solidarity and the immediate reaction,” Macron added, speaking in English. In his own reaction to the discussions, Macron wrote on social media: “Let us continue our joint efforts for peace and security.” (AFP)