The $895 billion spending bill focuses on internal issues but does not include payments to allies
Ukraine appears to have been left out of US President Joe Biden’s latest record-setting $895 billion defense budget, as the bill largely focuses on internal American issues. Last year, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) included provisions that the Pentagon was to spend on procuring arms and ammunition for Kiev.
Earlier this week, Biden officially approved bill H.R. 5009 – the ‘Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025’ – which was set to pass in October.
The bill was held back due to disagreements between Democrats and Republicans in Congress on how the money should be spent, including how much of it should be committed towards providing support for Washington’s allies such as Israel, Taiwan, and Ukraine.
After months of debate, both sides passed the bill and Biden signed it into law on Monday, despite the fact that it still includes controversial provisions, such as prohibiting the military healthcare system from covering “gender dysphoria treatments.”
While the $895 billion budget has surpassed last year’s by $9 billion, unlike its predecessor, it does not include any money to be spent on Ukraine. However, the bill contains measures aimed at strengthening the US presence and defense capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region, primarily to “counter China.” Beijing has already condemned the bill, citing its “negative content on China” and attempts to play up the ‘China threat’ narrative.
Nevertheless, Kiev is still likely to receive money from Washington before President-elect Donald Trump takes over, as the White House has reportedly been preparing a separate military aid package for Ukraine. According to media reports, this will likely include missiles for air defense systems, artillery ammunition, and other items, but the exact contents are not yet known. Uncertainty looms, however, over future US support for Ukraine, as Trump has expressed skepticism about continuing military aid.
Reuters reported last week, citing two anonymous sources, that the Biden administration plans to unveil its final Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative package, said to be worth around $1.2 billion, in the coming days.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently said that Washington has provided around $100 billion in financial and military assistance to Kiev since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. The Biden administration has pledged a “massive surge” in arms deliveries to the country in the final weeks of its term.
Russia has warned that no amount of Western aid will prevent it from achieving the goals of its military operation or change the ultimate outcome of the Ukraine conflict. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has suggested that Biden is attempting to leave behind a “difficult legacy” of heightened tensions with Russia.
