U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Sept. 6, 2024. Austin is slated to lead discussions at the base Jan. 9, 2025, his final meeting of the group. (Stars and Stripes)
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany — The U.S. is set to provide Ukraine an additional $500 million in weapons quickly pulled from its existing stockpiles as the Biden administration works to get Kyiv in a stronger negotiating position before President-elect Donald Trump takes office, two U.S. officials said.
The announcement is expected during Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s final trip to meet with the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a consortium of about 50 partner nations that Austin brought together months after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 to coordinate weapons support.
The meeting on Thursday is the 25th and potentially last gathering of the U.S.-led group, as the participating countries wait to see whether it will be continued under Trump.
“Our focus will be on maintaining momentum, delivering results, and sending a clear message: The international community stands resolute in its support for Ukraine,” Austin told reporters traveling with him.
The weapons are funded through presidential drawdown authority, meaning they can be pulled directly from U.S. stockpiles. A senior defense official who briefed reporters traveling with Austin said the goal was to get those munitions into Ukraine before the end of the month.
The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details not yet publicly announced.
To date the U.S. has provided Ukraine about $66.5 billion in weapons assistance since Russia invaded nearly three years ago.
There is now a little less than $4 billion remaining in congressionally authorized funding for Ukraine and much of that is expected to roll over to the Trump administration to determine whether to continue the weapons support.
Lee reported from Washington.
