A source has informed CNN that the Biden administration plans to significantly increase arms shipments to Kyiv before President-elect Trump’s inauguration.
A senior official disclosed to CNN on Thursday that the Biden administration is preparing a substantial surge in weapons deliveries to Ukraine before President Biden leaves office.
President-elect Trump has repeatedly criticized Biden’s handling of the Ukraine conflict, promising during his campaign to resolve the situation within 24 hours. However, he hasn’t detailed his plans since his election win.
The official stated that the US Department of Defense is undertaking a large-scale effort to rapidly transfer a significant amount of weaponry to Ukraine over the next five weeks.
Reports indicate that Washington intends to deliver hundreds of thousands of artillery shells, thousands of rockets, hundreds of armored vehicles, and other essential military equipment between now and January 20th, when Trump will resume the presidency.
The source revealed that National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is leading a collaborative effort across government agencies to expedite these deliveries. In November, he instructed Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to accelerate the transfer of various arms, including armored vehicles and missiles.
The unnamed official emphasized that despite this increased military support, no American troops are deployed in Ukraine, and this will remain unchanged.
While US weapons have previously been transported to Ukraine through European routes, this upcoming surge will reportedly involve a significant increase in air and sea shipments to ensure rapid delivery.
On Thursday, Biden approved a new $500 million weapons package for Ukraine, including air defense systems, artillery, drones, and armored vehicles. Since the conflict escalated in February 2022, the US Congress has authorized over $174 billion in aid to Kyiv. Biden has also authorized Ukrainian strikes deep into Russia using US-supplied missiles.
Trump has condemned this decision as a serious mistake, stating in a recent Time magazine interview that these attacks only escalate the conflict and worsen the situation.
This mirrors Moscow’s stance, which has repeatedly warned that long-range strikes will exacerbate the conflict and be perceived as direct NATO involvement.
“In this instance, we share the same assessment regarding the reasons for the escalation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on Friday, adding that Trump’s opposition to Ukraine’s use of American long-range missiles is something Moscow finds favorable.