As part of the 25th meeting in the Ramstein format, which may be the last one due to Donald Trump's return to office, the U.S. announced a new weapons aid package. This package is provided under the PDA (Presidential Drawdown Authority) program, meaning the weapons will be transferred from U.S. Department of Defense stockpiles.
The package is valued at $500 million, and the list of weapons includes:
Read more: U.S. Sends a $2.5 bln Military Aid Package to Ukraine: How Much Left in the Bank
- AIM-7, RIM-7, and AIM-9M missiles for air defense systems;
- Unspecified air-to-ground munitions;
- Unspecified auxiliary equipment for F-16s;
- Armored tank bridge layers;
- Secure communication systems, small arms and ammunition, spare parts, and other items.
None of the items reveal their quantities. Similarly, the updated overall list of weaponry published on the Pentagon's website contains no significant changes, except for a note clarifying that the United States has provided $66.5 billion in military aid to date.
Another key question is how much funding remains available for Washington to provide military assistance to Ukraine. As a reminder, after the announcement of the final aid package for 2024 on December 30, all funds under the USAI program (used to procure weapons from manufacturers) were completely exhausted. However, under the PDA program (used to transfer weapons from existing stockpiles), $1.55 billion remained, with the current balance as of January 9, 2025, standing at $1.05 billion.
This means the Biden administration can still allocate $1 billion before January 20, when Donald Trump's inauguration is set to take place. However, the $2.8 billion returned after the accounting error discovered in the summer of 2023 seems likely to be forgotten.
Read more: U.S., Germany Unveil New Aid Packages: Artillery, Ground Drones, and Ammunition Included
