Joe Biden's authorities sends extra weapons to Ukraine forward of Donald Trump's inauguration in January

Joe Biden's authorities accelerated the supply of weapons to Ukraine in current dayspending a reduce after Republican Donald Trump's arrival within the White Home on January 20. However the Democratic effort to ship billions of dollars in navy tools to Kiev earlier than then faces important logistical hurdles and raises considerations that the transfers will deplete already depleted US reserves, officers cited by The Wall Road Journal and the New York Occasions.

By sending as a lot navy assist to Kiev as potential earlier than January, Biden officers hope to offer Ukraine a stronger negotiating place and strengthen its protection. Earlier than the election, the White Home supposed to ship the remaining assist to Ukraine in April, in accordance with a Pentagon official. That schedule has taken on new urgency because the Republicans' resounding victory.

Greater than $7 billion obtainable for the Pentagon to switch weapons to Kiev from its arsenals stay unspent, together with greater than $2 billion to fund long-term tools contracts for Kiev. The White Home fears that Trump will cut back arms shipments to Ukraine as a part of an effort to deliver Kiev and Moscow to the negotiating desk in an unfavorable place for the Ukrainians.

Trump has promised to finish the battle in Ukraine earlier than taking workplace. Though the president-elect has not outlined a plan to take action, the nervousness in Washington underscores how a lot the tycoon's election has hampered the US-led marketing campaign to assist Ukraine, which has suffered critical battlefield setbacks within the battle. its towards Russia by confronting the way forward for the Western arms provide that has allowed it to proceed preventing.

Kyiv defends itself towards Moscow's offensivehowever there are darkish clouds on the horizon, with Trump aiming to finish the battle even at the price of putting Crimea and the Donbass area, illegally occupied by Russia, in Kremlin fingers.

“Nobody can predict what Trump will do”harassed President Volodymyr Zelensky talking to European leaders on the current Budapest summit. Days earlier, sources near Trump instructed the Journal that his advisers are recommending that he freeze the battle, ordering Russia's occupation of about 20% of Ukraine's territory and forcing Kiev to quickly droop its utility for NATO membership, no less than for 20 years.

For Kiev, Washington would placed on the desk the promise to proceed supplying weapons as a deterrent towards a potential new Russian assault. On this context, the entrance line would freeze and either side would comply with a demilitarized zone.

Kyiv rejects these options though, after a current cellphone name between Trump, businessman Elon Musk and Zelensky, it assures that the dialogue is open and potential assembly between the 2 leaders is being labored on.

In response to escalating Russian drone and missile assaults, the Pentagon is sending Ukraine greater than 500 interceptors for the Patriot missile protection system and the NASAMS Floor-to-Air Missile System, that are anticipated to reach within the coming weeks, in accordance with sources in Washington. These shipments ought to meet Ukraine's air protection wants for the remainder of this yr.

On Friday, the White Home stated it might ship “a small variety of contractors” to assist Kiev restore and keep the F-16 and different techniques. Contractors will arrive within the coming months and work away from the entrance strains. In August, the US rejected such a measure, however since then extra techniques have change into inoperable attributable to a scarcity of expert staff to restore or keep them. “Guaranteeing these techniques stay mission-capable is important to the protection of Ukraine towards Russian aggression,” the Pentagon stated in an announcement.

Supply: AP, ANSA and Clarín