Joe Biden Approves $725 Million Arms Aid Package for Ukraine: Report

Arms Aid Package for Ukraine: WASHINGTON, Nov 27 (Reuters) - The Biden administration is preparing a $725 million weapons package for Ukraine, two US officials said Wednesday as the outgoing president tries to beef up the government in Kyiv before he leaves office in January.

According to an official familiar with the plan, the administration will send anti-tank weapons from US stockpiles to counter Russia’s advancing troops including land mines, drones, Stinger missiles and ammo for HIMARS.

The package will also include cluster munitions which are found in Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) rockets fired by HIMARS launchers, according to the notification, seen by Reuters.

Also Read: Hemant Soren to Take Oath as Jharkhand CM Today: Venue, Time, and Guest List

The formal notification to Congress of the weapons package could come as soon as Monday.

The contents and size of the package may change in the coming days before Biden signs.

It’s a big jump from Biden’s recent use of Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) which allows the US to take from current stockpiles to help an ally in an emergency.

Recent PDA announcements have been $125 million to $250 million. Biden has $4-5 billion in PDA already authorized by Congress that he’s expected to use before Republican President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan 20.

The US has not exported landmines in decades and they are controversial because of the harm to civilians. More than 160 countries have signed a treaty banning them. Kyiv has been asking for them since Russia invaded in early 2022 and Russian forces have been using them on the front lines.

Also Read: “Cyclone Fengal Updates: Heavy Rain in Tamil Nadu, 70 kmph Winds Expected, School Closures Announced

The landmines to be sent to Ukraine are “non-persistent” landmines with a power system that only lasts for a short time, leaving the device non-lethal. This means they won’t stay in the ground forever like older landmines and threaten civilians.

Russian forces are advancing in Ukraine at the fastest rate since the early days of the 2022 invasion, taking an area half the size of London in the past month, analysts and war bloggers said this week.

The US expects Ukraine to use the mines in their territory but has committed not to use them in areas with their civilians.

Trump on Wednesday named Keith Kellogg, a retired lieutenant general who presented him with a plan to end the war in Ukraine, as special envoy for the conflict. Ending the Ukraine war was one of Trump’s big campaign promises but he has not explained how he would do it.

Also Read: Mark Zuckerberg Reacts to Mar-a-Lago Invite After Trump-Musk Bromance