The United States will provide Ukraine with a $725 million weapons package, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, as President Joe Biden’s outgoing administration seeks to bolster the government in Kyiv in its war with Russian invaders before leaving office in January.
The assistance will include Stinger missiles, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), drones, and land mines, among other items, Blinken said in a statement.
“The United States and more than 50 nations stand united to ensure Ukraine has the capabilities it needs to defend itself against Russian aggression,” Blinken’s statement said.
The announcement marks a steep uptick in size from Biden’s recent use of the so-called Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), which allows the US to draw from current weapons stocks to help allies in an emergency.
Recent PDA announcements have typically ranged from $125 million to $250 million. Biden has an estimated $4 billion to $5 billion in PDA already authorized by Congress that he is expected to use for Ukraine before Republican President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20.
