THE FINAL $500 MILLION? Compared to some previous U.S. aid packages for Ukraine, $500 million is fairly modest. However, it was the best the Pentagon could manage to assemble from existing weapons stocks before the Biden administration ends in eleven days.

The U.S. is expected to announce $500 million in military aid for Ukraine on Thursday at a final gathering of President Joe Biden's weapons pledging conferences, meetings Kyiv says have been critical to its defense against Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin used their final meeting in Germany to press the incoming Trump administration to not give up on Kyiv’s fight, warning that to cease military support now “will only invite more aggression,

The order for a new batch of rounds of HEI-T ammunition (High Explosive Incendiary with Tracer) was booked in December 2024 and is funded by the German government.

With transit routes through Ukraine for Russian gas cut off, a few EU countries now need to rethink their gas supply. For others – including Germany and Switzerland – the impact will be minimal.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky says he will again ask his allies to boost the country's air defenses at this week’s meeting in Germany.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20 having criticized continued U.S. military aid for Ukraine's fight against Russia. This may shift the onus on support for Kyiv to fall on other allies, particularly in Europe, where a changing political leadership since his election could complicate matters.

The White House seized a rare chance to undermine Russia and build up regional allies as it built a coalition to support the Ukrainians.

The plans will focus on Ukraine's air force, drone programs and air defense capabilities, among other parts of Kyiv's military, a U.S. defense official said.

The US has committed over US$63.5 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia's invasion. Read more at straitstimes.com.