() The Department of Defense announced a new round of nearly $1 billion in U.S. taxpayer money for Ukraine as the conflict with Russia continues.
Federal spending known to have been allocated for Ukraine now totals at least $62 billion since the long-running war escalated in 2022, following Russia’s crossover into Ukrainian territory.
The lame-duck Biden administration’s latest package will provide Ukraine with munitions for rocket systems, Unmanned Aerial Systems, and maintenance and repair programs to sustain and bolster its combat power.
The war between Russia and Ukraine has continued to reshape global dynamics as the Trump administration prepares to transition back into the White House, with the president-elect having pledged to end it with a diplomatic resolution.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin addressed the additional funding at the Reagan National Defense Forum, stating that the Biden administration has consistently made its prioritization of Ukraine funding clear.
Biden’s administration has close ties with BlackRock, the multi-trillion-dollar investment firm that he tapped to oversee the rebuilding of the war-torn country, which stands to substantially benefit American investors and contractors. Ukraine also has been the European base of operations for billionaire oligarch George Soros since the 2014 CIA-backed color revolution that overthrew its Russia-friendly government in lieu of one friendly to Soros’s globalist influence.
The Ukraine Defense Contact Group is a global network of some 50 allies and partners, which Austin said had committed more than $57 billion in direct security assistance.
Austin said that Russia “has paid a staggering price for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war of aggression,” with at least 700,000 casualties and spending more than $200 billion since the start of the war.
Proponents of a mediated resolution—which Ukraine and the Biden administration thus far have rejected—note that Western provocation forced Russia’s hand by threatening to admit Ukraine, a former Soviet satellite, into NATO. That would have allowed the alliance to stockpile of missiles and other weapons of mass destruction at the Russian border.
The war offered “a sneak preview of a world built by tyrants and thugs—a chaotic world, violent world carved into spheres of influence; a world where bullies trample their smaller neighbors; and a world where aggressors force free people to live in fear,” Austin said.
“So, we can continue to stand up to the Kremlin, or we can let Putin have his way—and condemn our children and grandchildren to live in a world of chaos and conflict,” he claimed.
President-Elect Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that “Zelensky and Ukraine would like to make a deal and stop the madness,” noting the loss of 400,000 soldiers and many civilians.
Trump urged for an immediate cease-fire and to begin negotiations, adding, “I know Vladimir well. This is his time to act. China can help. The World is waiting!”
Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron last week, and little clarity has been given on what to expect in the future support of Ukraine after Jan. 20, Inauguration Day.
“We all want this war to end as soon as possible and in a just way. We spoke about our people, the situation on the ground, and a just peace,” Zelensky wrote on X after the meeting. “We agreed to continue working together and keep in contact. Peace through strength is possible.”
