(Reuters) - The United States will send Ukraine $725 million of missiles, ammunition, anti-personnel mines and other weapons, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday, as President Joe Biden's outgoing administration seeks to bolster 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.
Reuters reported last week that the Biden administration planned to provide the equipment, much of it anti-tank weapons, to ward off Russia's attacking forces.
Moscow's troops have been capturing village after village in Ukraine's east, part of a drive to seize the industrial Donbas region, while Russian airstrikes target a hobbled Ukrainian energy grid as winter sets in.
"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 so-called Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), which allows the U.S. 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 Jan. 20.
WAITING FOR TRUMP
Trump is widely expected to change U.S. strategy on Ukraine, after he criticized the scale of Biden's support for Kyiv and made quickly winding down the war a central campaign promise. Last week, he picked Keith Kellogg, a retired lieutenant general who presented him with a plan to end the war, to serve as special envoy for the conflict.
Kellogg's plan for ending the war, which began when Russia invaded Ukrainian sovereign territory, involves freezing the battle lines at their prevailing locations and forcing both Kyiv and Moscow to the negotiating table, Reuters reported in June.
The tranche of weapons represents the first time in decades that the United States has exported land mines, the use of which is controversial because of the potential harm to civilians.
Although more than 160 countries have signed a treaty banning their use, Kyiv has been asking for them since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in early 2022, and Russian forces have used them on the front lines.
The land mines that would be sent to Ukraine are "non-persistent," with a power system that lasts for just a short time, leaving the devices non-lethal. This means that - unlike older landmines - they would not threaten civilians indefinitely.
A Russian missile strike hit Ukraine's Sumy on Tuesday morning, killing three people and injuring several others, as emergency crews responded to the attack that targeted civilian vehicles in the heart of the city.
Ukrainian strikes have triggered widespread power outages across Russian-occupied areas of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, cutting electricity to hundreds of thousands, according to Russia-installed officials, who said the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant remains unaffected.
Two senior Ukrainian officials are set to visit the U.S. capital this week for high-level discussions aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and advancing Kyiv’s strategic agenda.
Russia's overnight attacks killed one person in Ukraine's northeastern region of Kharkiv and injured several more in the northern city of Chernihiv, regional Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday.
Russia laid out strict demands for ending the war during peace talks in Istanbul, calling on Ukraine to cede territory and limit its military.
Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders announced the collapse of the ruling coalition on Tuesday after his PVV party quit the government, citing disagreements over asylum policy—paving the way for fresh elections and heightening political uncertainty in the Netherlands.
A Russian missile strike hit Ukraine's Sumy on Tuesday morning, killing three people and injuring several others, as emergency crews responded to the attack that targeted civilian vehicles in the heart of the city.
Europe is facing yet another climate-driven drought, with hotspots like Spain, Cyprus, and Greece under severe alert. Hydropower, agriculture, and tourism are already feeling the pressure after an unusually hot spring.
Azerbaijan plans to save 1.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually by 2030, thanks to expanded renewable energy capacity, Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov said at the Baku Energy Forum.
Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has embarked on an official visit to Kenya to inaugurate Azerbaijan’s new embassy and hold bilateral meetings.
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.
Portuguese police have reopened the search for Madeleine McCann in the Algarve, acting on a German request, as investigators continue to pursue links to suspect Christian Brueckner.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has launched a major defence overhaul to prepare Britain for modern threats, but experts warn that the lack of clear funding raises doubts about its viability.
Environmental groups gathered in Iğdır to demand the immediate closure of the Metzamor Nuclear Power Plant near the Armenian border, warning of severe regional risks.
Ukraine will participate in the NATO summit in The Hague after receiving an official invitation, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed in a video address.
Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders announced the collapse of the ruling coalition on Tuesday after his PVV party quit the government, citing disagreements over asylum policy—paving the way for fresh elections and heightening political uncertainty in the Netherlands.
Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders announced the collapse of the ruling coalition on Tuesday after his PVV party quit the government, citing disagreements over asylum policy—paving the way for fresh elections and heightening political uncertainty in the Netherlands.
A Russian missile strike hit Ukraine's Sumy on Tuesday morning, killing three people and injuring several others, as emergency crews responded to the attack that targeted civilian vehicles in the heart of the city.
Europe is facing yet another climate-driven drought, with hotspots like Spain, Cyprus, and Greece under severe alert. Hydropower, agriculture, and tourism are already feeling the pressure after an unusually hot spring.
Azerbaijan plans to save 1.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually by 2030, thanks to expanded renewable energy capacity, Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov said at the Baku Energy Forum.
Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has embarked on an official visit to Kenya to inaugurate Azerbaijan’s new embassy and hold bilateral meetings.
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