US President Joe Biden has laid down a deal just before his presidency ends with $725 million worth of lethal aid for Ukraine for the defence against Russian attacks. The plan whose details the White House is yet to fully unveil next week entails delivering anti-tank systems, drones, Stinger missiles, and superior ammunition among other weaponry to the Afghan forces according to the officials.

Details of the Package

The proposed package entails a heavy drawdown on the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) and brings spare parts for weapons in emergencies. This allocation is significantly greater than recent drawdowns that have varied between $125 million and $250 million. Biden has about $ 4 billion to $ 5 billion in 12PDA funds authorised by Congress and he is expected to spend the amount before Republican President-elect Donald Trump takes his oath on January 20.

These are some of the features that come with the package; non-persistent mines that explode on their own after a few days to reduce the impacts for many years on innocents. Kyiv has been calling for such weaponry long time, it says that Russia has now used landmines along the front line daily since its invasion in 2022. Also, the package includes BM-37/ 122 mm cluster munitions for guided multiple-launch rocket system rockets launched by HIMARS launchers.

Although the US has not exported landmines for years because of controversy surrounding the use of that weapon, officials stress that all these mines remain for Ukraine’s use only inside its territory and are not to be used near civilian populations.

A Response to Escalating Conflict

The statement was made at a time when Russian troops were gradually expanding their territory control and going deeper into Ukraine at a faster rate as was observed during the first weeks of the war. In the last month they have taken a geographical area equivalent to half the size of London, say analysts and war monitors.

In the interest of acting in support of Ukraine’s ability to fight back against the Russians while at the same time meeting global concerns over the humanitarian crisis at play, this decision to send more weapons is illustrative of continued commitment from Washington in the fight against Russians. U.N. treaties against its use include more than 160 countries with the exceptions of the United States and Ukraine.

Analyzing Trump’s approach to the conflict in Ukraine

In contrast, President-elect Donald Trump is indicating his administration’s change of approach to the conflict. On Wednesday Trump designated retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg as the special envoy for Ukraine. The author reports that Kellogg, a counsellor for Trump, has suggested the strategy to end the war in a short period, which will be good for the campaign since Trump promised to end the war. So, while Mr Trump has vowed to repeal Obamacare and ‘expand the use of ‘consumer-driven healthcare plans, he has not informed his populace how he is going to accomplish this aim.

While the Biden administration is stepping up its support for Ukraine, the proposed weapons supplies, supporting the counteraction against Russian progress, will keep the international discussion on the effectiveness of certain military technologies active. The weeks that follow will answer how far these choices impact the course of the conflict and the strategies of the following government.