Ahead of Conversation With Zelensky, President Biden Promises More Ukraine Aid

Kyiv, Ukraine.Photo byEugeneonUnsplash

The White House on Monday released the latest press statement from President Biden, which directly followed conversations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. In the release, found here, the President stated that this week more announcements on aid packages including further munitions, equipment, and surveillance will be unveiled.

Based on figures provided by the Department of Defense, this would add to the more than $24.9 billion in security assistance already given to Ukraine during the Biden administration. Those totals include at least 29 approved "Presidential Drawdowns" of the Department of Defense's inventories and supplies with the goal of furthering Ukraine's defense capabilities. For comparison, between 2011 and 2016, there were a total of 13 such drawdowns.

It is also important to note that the security assistance described above is tallied separately from other support and aid packages, including the major aid packages passed through Congress last year, some of which totaled over $40 billion.

Early on in Ukraine's conflict with Russia, support for the former was nearly unanimous. As time has progressed, however, some Representatives and Senators in Congress have voiced concerns over the sum total of spending and its impact on the budget. The above-mentioned $40.1 billion aid package passed the House of Representatives on a vote of 368 - 57, with 219 Democrats voting "yes" unanimously with Republicans more split with a total of 149-57 in favor of the aid.

As the battle in Eastern Europe continues without a clear end in sight, the tallies of devastation have only grown. Just this past week, State Department officials announced that there is "no doubt" that Russian soldiers have committed crimes against humanity in Ukraine. Not long after, the State Department also issued a press release stating that holding individuals accountable for war crimes and other atrocities was among the department's highest priorities.

Washington, D.C.Photo byLouis VelazquezonUnsplash

On that subject, the State Department Spokesperson offered the following in their release:

The high volume of atrocities committed in Ukraine requires pursuit of accountability efforts in a broad array of jurisdictions at the national and international levels.  Many countries—including the United Kingdom, Germany, Lithuania, and Sweden—have announced the opening of investigations into atrocity crimes within their domestic legal systems.  The United States has also amended its laws and is using an array of tools to help support strategic litigation efforts across various jurisdictions, including within the United States.

The efforts to aid Ukraine, as displayed above, have taken place in multiple agencies and on multiple fronts both domestically and abroad. Proposals and measures taking aim at everything from legal ramifications, international finance monitoring, and traditional defense and supplies have been brought to various agencies and Congress itself for more than a year. Biden's latest announcement is just the most recent in a slew of measures aimed at supporting the United State's European ally.

It remains to be seen if the latest aid package will be an executive-authorized drawdown or a larger, Congress-approved package. Those interested in following the latest on the conflict can find the press releases and information for each respective agency in the links included above.