Biden administration announces $988M in aid to Ukraine on same day Trump meets with Zelenskyy in Paris

The Biden administration unveiled a $988 million aid package for Ukraine on Saturday, aimed at ensuring the country has the resources needed to counter Russian aggression.

"This administration has made its choice, as has a bipartisan coalition in Congress. The next administration must make its own," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said at the Reagan National Defense Forum in California. He added, "From this podium, I am confident that President Reagan would have stood with Ukraine, American security, and freedom."

Funded through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, the package includes munitions for rocket systems, unmanned aerial systems, and support for maintenance programs to rebuild and sustain Ukraine’s combat capabilities, according to a government release.

The announcement coincided with President-elect Trump’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris, where they attended the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral, restored after the 2019 fire.

During the campaign, Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance criticized Biden’s Ukraine policy, with Trump pledging to end the war before taking office, though without outlining specifics. Vance previously suggested Ukraine cede Russian-occupied territories and establish a demilitarized zone—a proposal Zelenskyy firmly rejected.

Recently, Zelenskyy has shown more openness to negotiations while also advocating for Ukraine's NATO membership.

The Biden administration has accelerated aid to bolster Ukraine before Trump’s inauguration in January. "The president announced a surge in security assistance to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position before leaving office," National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Monday, announcing $725 million in additional support.

From now until mid-January, the administration plans to deliver significant military supplies, including artillery rounds and rockets, to Ukraine, Sullivan said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken echoed this urgency last month, vowing to allocate every available dollar for Ukraine before Biden leaves office.

The latest package is the administration’s 22nd through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. However, House Speaker Mike Johnson rejected a recent White House request for $24 billion in additional Ukraine funding.

"Joe Biden should not make that decision now," Johnson said. "We have a newly elected president, and it’s up to him to chart the path forward. I don’t expect any Ukraine funding to move forward at this time."