The Pentagon states that Biden won't be able to spend "several billion" dollars on aid for Ukraine in time.

The administration of current U.S. President Joe Biden will not be able to utilize the entire approved funding for Ukraine before the inauguration of the new head of state, Donald Trump, which was granted by Congress in the spring of 2024. "Several" billion dollars will remain unspent.

This was stated by the Deputy Press Secretary of the U.S. Department of Defense, Sabrina Singh, as reported by RBK-Ukraine referencing her briefing in Washington.

During a media interaction, she responded to a question regarding the Biden administration's concern over the significant amount remaining under presidential drawdown authority (PDA) - the primary mechanism Washington has used to deliver weapons to Ukraine.

"Regarding Ukraine, you know, there will be several billion dollars in authority for the new administration to decide what it will do with the remaining authorities," said the Pentagon's Deputy Press Secretary.

Commenting on the potential risk of a "freeze" in U.S. aid to Ukraine by the new Trump administration, Singh noted that Kyiv enjoys bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress.

"And it is thanks to our efforts that Ukraine continues to achieve success on the battlefield... They (the Ukrainians, - ed.) are doing this with the support of the United States and other allied countries and coalitions through the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (the "Ramstein" format meetings, - ed.)," she added.

The representative of the U.S. defense department also stated that it will be the Trump administration that decides what to do with the remaining PDA authorities.

"But, of course, we hope that in some way the Ukraine Defense Contact Group will continue to operate. But, of course, support for Ukraine in Congress remains strong," Singh added.

She also mentioned that as of now, the United States and other allied and partner countries have collectively allocated over $126 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the full-scale invasion by Russia in February 2022.

U.S. Aid to Ukraine

Recall that the U.S. Congress approved nearly $175 billion in aid for Ukraine and allied countries following the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

A significant portion of this aid has come in the form of long-term funding for U.S. defense production, as the Pentagon attempts to replace equipment sent to Ukraine.

In September 2024, Western media reported that Biden's administration was urgently negotiating with Congress for permission to use $6 billion in defense aid for Ukraine. At that time, it was known that most of the $7.8 billion allocated under the PDA according to the bill signed by Biden in April had not been utilized.

Yesterday, January 8, the publication "Voice of America" reported that the final aid package for Ukraine, announced for the near future by the Biden administration, would amount to $500 million. Therefore, approximately $3.8 billion in support for Kyiv will remain unspent, despite the White House's promises to allocate the entire amount by the end of Biden's term.

According to the Pentagon, these funds will be transferred to Donald Trump's control after his inauguration on January 20.

Additionally, AP previously reported that the aid package for Ukraine, to be announced on January 9, will be provided from existing U.S. stockpiles. Thus, Kyiv is expected to receive weapons before Trump's inauguration.

It is also worth noting that the PDA program allows the American president to transfer defense goods and services from U.S. stockpiles in response to "emergencies."