During the 25th meeting in the "Ramstein" format, which risks becoming the last due to Donald Trump's rise to power, the United States announced a new military aid package. This allocation is made under the PDA program, a presidential drawdown, meaning that the weapons will be transferred from U.S. Department of Defense stocks.
The total amount is $500 million, and the list of weapons includes the following:
- AIM-7, RIM-7, and AIM-9M missiles for air defense systems
- Unnamed air-to-ground munitions
- Unspecified support equipment for F-16s
- Tank bridge layers
- Secure communication systems, small arms and ammunition, spare parts, etc.
None of the items specify quantities. Additionally, there are no changes in the updated overall list of weapons published on the Pentagon's website, except for the clarification that the U.S. has provided weapons worth $66.5 billion to date.
Another crucial question is how much funding remains in Washington's accounts for military assistance to Ukraine. It is worth noting that after the announcement on December 30 of the last package in 2024, funds under the USAI program (where weapons are ordered from manufacturers) were fully depleted. However, the PDA program (where weapons are drawn from stocks) still had $1.55 billion remaining, with a current balance of $1.05 billion as of January 9, 2025.
This means that the current administration of Joe Biden can still utilize another $1 billion before January 20, when Donald Trump's inauguration is scheduled. As for the additional $2.8 billion returned following the discovery of an accounting error in the summer of 2023, it appears that this amount can be forgotten.