President Biden announces $5.9B in military aid for Ukraine, boosting support before leaving office as questions loom over future aid under President-elect Trump.
The United States on Monday announced nearly $6 billion in additional military and budget assistance for Ukraine as President Joe Biden uses his final weeks in office to surge aid to Kyiv before President-elect Donald Trump takes power.
Biden announced $2.5 billion in additional security assistance for Ukraine.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the United States has made available $3.4 billion in additional budget aid to Ukraine, giving the war-torn country critical resources amid intensifying Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure.
"At my direction, the United States will continue to work relentlessly to strengthen Ukraine’s position in this war over the remainder of my time in office," Biden said in a statement.
Biden's announcement includes $1.25 billion in military aid drawn from U.S. stockpiles and a $1.22 billion Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) package, the final USAI package of Biden's time in office.
Under USAI, military equipment is procured from the defense industry or partners, rather than drawn from American stocks, meaning it can take months or years to arrive on the battlefield.
Yellen said in a statement the direct budget assistance, provided in coordination with the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department, marked the final disbursement under the 2024 Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act.
The U.S. Congress has approved $175 billion in total assistance for Ukraine since Russia's invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago, according to the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. Recently the Russians have been using North Korean troops to bolster their fighting position.
North Korean forces are experiencing mass casualties on the front lines of Russia's war against Ukraine, with 1,000 of their troops killed or wounded in the last week alone in Russia's Kursk region, White House spokesperson John Kirby said on Friday.
Biden said the new assistance will provide Ukraine with "an immediate influx of capabilities that it continues to use to great effect on the battlefield and longer-term supplies of air defense, artillery, and other critical weapons systems."
Nearly three years into the war, Washington has committed billions of dollars in aid for Ukraine, but it is uncertain if the aid will continue at that pace under Trump, who succeeds Biden on Jan. 20.
Trump has said he wants to bring the war to a swift end.
During the presidential campaign, Trump questioned the level of U.S. involvement in the conflict, suggesting European allies should bear more of the financial burden.
Some of his fellow Republicans - who will control both the House of Representatives and Senate starting next month - have also cooled on sending more aid to Kyiv.
A U.S. official said the $3.4 billion in budget funding brings the total in U.S. budget aid to Ukraine to just over $30 billion since Russia's invasion in February 2022. Most of those funds are used to keep Ukraine's government running by paying salaries to teachers and other state employees.
Washington has separately provided approximately $61.4 billion in security assistance to Kyiv since the start of the war, according to the Pentagon.
Biden said the Defense Department is in the process of delivering hundreds of thousands of artillery rounds, thousands of rockets, and hundreds of armored vehicles "which will strengthen Ukraine’s hand as it heads into the winter."
Yellen said continued economic aid for Ukraine was crucial to allow it to maintain government services and continue to defend its sovereignty, warning against moves to cut funding.
"Ukraine’s success is in America’s core national interest," she said, vowing to continue to pressure Moscow with sanctions and to help position Ukraine to achieve a just peace.
"We must not retreat in this effort."
With looming US tariff hikes on steel, the UK is pushing for a swift implementation of a trade deal meant to protect £400mn in exports and safeguard industry jobs.
As the US-China trade standoff intensifies, Beijing has released a striking video vowing to resist pressure and uphold its global trade role, accusing Washington of economic coercion.
Reported visa denials and stricter screening processes have raised concerns among Chinese students applying to American universities, as policies shaped by national security priorities continue to influence international academic exchange.
Japan is preparing for a new round of trade discussions with the U.S. as both sides try to resolve differences before higher tariffs on Japanese automobile exports take effect in July.
U.S. President Donald Trump has hinted at a major announcement later this week, without offering any details, during a wide-ranging Oval Office exchange with Canadian leader Mark Carney.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has commended President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan for his "rational and balanced policy" in developing the country’s energy resources, particularly amid growing global demand for oil and gas.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has arrived in Egypt on a one-day visit and is scheduled to visit Lebanon on Tuesday on the second leg of his tour of the two Arab countries with which the Islamic Republic is re-adjusting its relations.
Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu will make an official visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran on June 7, 2025, following an invitation from the Iranian government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan announced on Monday.
The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) and Canada’s Gran Tierra Energy Inc. signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the sidelines of the 30th Anniversary International Caspian Oil and Gas Exhibition held as part of Baku Energy Week.
Azerbaijan and Iran have reached a key agreement on the operation mode and water allocation of the Araz reservoir, following the 54th meeting of the Permanent Joint Commission on the shared use of the Araz River's water and energy resources, held in Baku.
On May 28, the inauguration ceremony of Lachin International Airport was held.
Taxi drivers across France are protesting government plans to cut payments for driving patients to medical appointments. These cuts are part of a broader effort by Prime Minister François Bayrou to save €40 billion in the 2026 budget and reduce the country’s large deficit.
EU ministers have greenlit a massive €150 billion defense investment fund—dubbed the Security Action for Europe (SAFE)—as the bloc ramps up its military readiness in response to Russia’s aggression and growing uncertainty over U.S. security guarantees.
Brazil’s economy is expected to have regained momentum in the first quarter of 2025, driven by a surge in household spending and private investment, according to a Reuters poll of economists conducted from May 21–26.
As peace talks progress, voices from Yerevan, Tbilisi, and Baku reveal hopes, concerns, and expectations for a future shaped by trade, trust, and generational change in the South Caucasus.
The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) and Canada’s Gran Tierra Energy Inc. signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the sidelines of the 30th Anniversary International Caspian Oil and Gas Exhibition held as part of Baku Energy Week.
Heavy flooding has wreaked havoc in southwestern China’s Yunnan province, destroying dozens of homes and vital infrastructure in the Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture, local authorities reported on Monday.
UN Headquarters in New York, powerful voices from France’s overseas territories accused Paris of sustaining colonial control under new names, demanding sovereignty, reparations, and justice for people of African descent.
Karol Nawrocki’s narrow win in Poland’s presidential race signals a sharp turn in tone toward both the European Union and Ukraine, raising questions over Warsaw’s future alignment in Central Europe.
In a significant development toward de-escalating the ongoing war, Russia on Monday formally presented Ukraine with a comprehensive peace proposal, outlining steps for a full ceasefire and a long-term peace agreement, according to Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has commended President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan for his "rational and balanced policy" in developing the country’s energy resources, particularly amid growing global demand for oil and gas.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has arrived in Egypt on a one-day visit and is scheduled to visit Lebanon on Tuesday on the second leg of his tour of the two Arab countries with which the Islamic Republic is re-adjusting its relations.
Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu will make an official visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran on June 7, 2025, following an invitation from the Iranian government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan announced on Monday.
The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) and Canada’s Gran Tierra Energy Inc. signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the sidelines of the 30th Anniversary International Caspian Oil and Gas Exhibition held as part of Baku Energy Week.
Azerbaijan and Iran have reached a key agreement on the operation mode and water allocation of the Araz reservoir, following the 54th meeting of the Permanent Joint Commission on the shared use of the Araz River's water and energy resources, held in Baku.
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