SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (AP) — The United States will supply astir $1 cardinal much successful longer-term weapons support to Ukraine, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Saturday arsenic nan Biden management rushes to spend each nan congressionally approved money it has near to bolster Kyiv earlier President-elect Donald Trump takes agency adjacent month.
The latest package will see much drones and munitions for nan High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, aliases HIMARS, that nan U.S. has provided. While these weapons are critically needed now, they will beryllium funded done nan Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which pays for longer-term systems to beryllium put connected contract.
The limb systems purchased are often intended to support Ukraine’s early subject capabilities, not make an contiguous quality connected nan battlefield.
The $988 cardinal package is connected apical of an further $725 cardinal successful U.S. subject assistance, including counter-drone systems and HIMARS munitions, announced Monday that would beryllium drawn from nan Pentagon’s stockpiles to much quickly get to nan beforehand lines. The U.S. has provided Ukraine pinch much than $62 cardinal successful subject assistance since Russia’s penetration successful February 2022.
“The baton will soon beryllium passed,” Austin said. “Others will determine nan people ahead. And I dream that they will build connected nan spot that we person forged complete nan past 4 years.”

Bloomberg via Getty Images
Ukraine is facing an intensified onslaught by Russia, which is now utilizing thousands of North Korean troops to augment its fight to return backmost nan Kursk region. Moscow besides has launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile and regularly strikes Kyiv’s civilian infrastructure.
With questions astir whether Trump will support subject support to Ukraine, nan Biden management has been trying to walk each dollar remaining from a massive overseas assistance bill passed earlier this twelvemonth to put Ukraine successful nan strongest position possible.
“This management has made its choice. So has a bipartisan conjugation successful Congress. The adjacent management must make its ain choice,” Austin said successful a reside astatine an yearly gathering of nationalist information officials, defense firms and lawmakers astatine nan Ronald Reagan Presidential Library successful Simi Valley, California.
Trump had a hastily arranged meeting Saturday pinch Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and France’s Emmanuel Macron while successful Paris for nan reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral. Macron and different European leaders are trying to seduce Trump to support support for Ukraine.
Trump, a longtime admirer of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has criticized U.S. assistance for Ukraine and called for bringing a speedy extremity to nan war, raising concerns successful Ukraine astir what position whitethorn beryllium laid retired for immoderate early negotiations.
I had a bully and productive trilateral gathering pinch President @realDonaldTrump and President @EmmanuelMacron astatine nan Élysée Palace.
President Trump is, arsenic always, resolute. I convey him. I besides widen my gratitude to Emmanuel for organizing this important meeting.
We each want… pic.twitter.com/eKMtuhp2ZI

Antoine Gyori - Corbis via Getty Images
Austin said he was “confident that President Reagan would person stood connected nan broadside of Ukraine, American information and quality freedom.”
It was 1 of Austin’s past awesome speeches arsenic President Joe Biden’s defense caput and a headdress to his much than 41 years serving arsenic a worker and general.
Under Austin’s watch, nan Pentagon successful 2022 launched a regular gathering that now counts much than 50 countries to fig retired really to get nan tens of millions of rounds of ammunition and billions of dollars successful precocious weaponry to Ukraine. Without that travel of support, it’s imaginable nan state would person fallen to Russia aft it invaded.
“Together, we person helped Ukraine past an all-out battle by nan largest subject successful Europe,” Austin said.
Austin and Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, nan longtime Republican leader, were honored astatine nan convention for their life of service, and they utilized nan opportunity to property for nan U.S. to proceed to build and support its alliances, a crisp opposition to Trump’s “America First “ policy.
Austin called nan Ukraine Defense Contact Group “the astir consequential world conjugation since nan clip of President George H.W. Bush and Iraq’s 1990 penetration of Kuwait,” showing that “America and our friends person go nan arsenal of Ukrainian democracy.”
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Before Saturday’s announcement, location was astir $8 cardinal near to usage to propulsion existing weapons retired of U.S. stockpiles and to put further weapons connected statement to thief Ukraine.
“We’re not going to extremity Putin by telling Ukraine we aren’t going to springiness you thing more,” Rep. Adam Smith of Washington state, nan apical Democrat connected nan House Armed Services Committee, said astatine a sheet astatine nan Reagan National Defense Forum.