(TheProudRepublic.com) – Aimed at spending money on foreign affairs instead of investing it in the nation, Joe Biden unveiled more than $8 billion in military assistance for Ukraine to help Kyiv “win this war” against Russian aggressors.
This significant outburst coincided with a visit from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Among the aid is the first shipment of a precision-guided glide bomb known as the Joint Standoff Weapon, which boasts a range of up to 81 miles (130 km).
This medium-range missile significantly enhances Ukraine’s arsenal, allowing it to strike Russian forces from safer distances. The bomb, designed for high-accuracy targeting, will be deployed from fighter jets.
Yet, according to a U.S. official, Biden is not expected to announce that Washington would permit Ukraine to use U.S. missiles to strike deeper targets within Russia.
Supporting Ukraine has been a top priority for the Biden administration since Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
“That is why, today, I am announcing a surge in security assistance for Ukraine and a series of additional actions to help Ukraine win this war,” Biden stated as he prepared to leave office in January.
Totaling $5.5 billion most of the new aid is intended to be allocated before the end of the U.S. fiscal year on Monday, when the funding authority is set to lapse.
An additional $2.4 billion will come from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which enables the administration to purchase weapons for Ukraine from private companies rather than drawing them from U.S. stockpiles.
Moreover, Biden explained that this funding will enhance Ukraine’s air defense, provide unmanned aerial systems, and supply air-to-ground munitions.
It also aims to bolster Ukraine’s defense industrial base and support maintenance and sustainment efforts.
As part of his plan, the Democrat announced that the Defense Department would refurbish and deliver an extra Patriot air defense battery along with more Patriot missiles to Ukraine.
Biden has directed the Pentagon to expand training for Ukrainian F-16 pilots, including supporting an additional 18 pilots to be trained next year.
According to Biden, the U.S. plans to disrupt “a global cryptocurrency network, in coordination with international partners ” to tackle Russian sanctions evasion and money laundering.
Next month, Biden will convene a leader-level meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Germany to coordinate the efforts of over 50 nations supporting Ukraine.
Meanwhile, bipartisan support for Ukraine’s defense has been prevalent in the U.S. Still, it remains uncertain how many Republicans will engage with Zelenskyy, particularly amid growing criticism of his government from party leaders, including Donald Trump.
Trump has been vocal in his criticisms of the Ukrainian president as he campaigns for the November 5 election and has, at least for the moment, declined Zelenskyy’s request for a meeting.
The former president expressed strong disapproval of Zelenskyy during a campaign rally in North Carolina on Wednesday, stating, “We continue to give billions of dollars to a man who refused to make a deal, Zelenskyy.”
Many congressional Republicans expressed outrage over Zelenskyy’s visit to a munitions factory in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where Biden grew up. The Republican-led House Oversight Committee has launched an investigation into Zelenskyy’s trip.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is not expected to meet Zelenskyy and demanded that he dismiss his ambassador to Washington for organizing the Scranton visit. He clarified that this demand was not a threat to oppose military aid.
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