The White House Thursday announced one of its most extensive rounds of security aid for Ukraine to date, including billions of dollars in aid, another air defense system and expanded training for F-16 fighter jets, which started arriving in the country only late this summer.
The package will empty out the administration’s chest of remaining aid to Kyiv, in part out of necessity.
The $5.5 billion left in authority to ship American stocks to Ukraine was otherwise set to expire with the fiscal year at the end of the month. And Donald Trump, who may yet win the presidency in November, has said his goal is to end the war, without committing to an outcome.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is visiting the White House Thursday after addressing the United Nations this week. U.S. President Joe Biden pledged he would host an October “leader-level” summit of countries that gather each month to coordinate aid for Kyiv.
By approving the leftover $5.5 billion, the Biden administration will be able to continue its support, which Congress didn’t extend in a short-term funding bill passed this week. But the authority will only apply to equipment sent in previous rounds of aid and locks Ukraine into its current weapons diet.
To wit, the White House also said it would be sending the Joint Standoff Weapon, an air-to-ground missile.
A further $2.4 billion in long-term aid will follow through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, a second tool to provide Ukraine with longer-term security aid. That package will include aerial drones, munitions, industrial support and air defense, the White House said.
This last category has long been a prize for Ukraine, whose cities have been under attack from Russian bombs throughout the war. The package of aid will also include a refurbished Patriot battery, America’s most advanced air defense system and one Zelenskyy has sought in higher numbers.
The White House also said it was telling the Pentagon to expand its training for Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets. The Ukrainian air force has started using these fourth-generation fighters since receiving its first batch over the summer — a gradual approach U.S. defense officials call “crawl, walk, run.”
Ukrainian officials have argued the West’s pipeline for training — split between America and Europe — is too narrow and should include more pilots. That said, Ukraine lost one of the jets already in a late-August incident still under investigation. Zelenskyy sacked the head of Ukraine’s air force soon after.
Noah Robertson is the Pentagon reporter at Defense News. He previously covered national security for the Christian Science Monitor. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English and government from the College of William & Mary in his hometown of Williamsburg, Virginia.
