Trump administration may block $30 bln of USAI arms supply to Ukraine
The administration of US President Donald Trump may use the cessation of supplies of ammunition and weapons planned during the tenure of Joseph Biden as a lever of pressure on Ukraine. In particular, this concerns supplies under the USAI program worth $30 billion, Defense Express reports.
“An even greater risk lies in halting USAI-funded arms supplies, which are spread over several years. The total value of all USAI packages is around $30 billion — out of $65.9 billion in total military aid since 2022. The deliveries are scheduled through 2025, 2026, and possibly 2027. The extent to which these contracts have already been fulfilled remains undisclosed,” the message reads.
It is noted that USAI is all about sophisticated weapon systems, a significant portion of the funds — around $10 billion — was allocated for ammunition: missiles, artillery shells, anti-aircraft rounds, and other types. Critically, $4 billion of this funding was approved between August and late December 2024, meaning these munitions are not expected to ship before 2025–2026.
In light of these developments, Defense Express has estimated the volume of military aid currently at risk. This is especially significant as it could affect the "avalanche of weapons" promised in December 2024 by former National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
At that time, $2.2 billion remained in the budget for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which funds weapons purchases from American manufacturers on behalf of Ukraine, and another $3.3 billion was left for the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), which provides equipment from Pentagon stockpiles.
Regarding PDA, Biden failed to spend all available funds. The last aid package, announced on January 9, was worth $500 million, leaving $1.05 billion unused. Additionally, $2.8 billion, originally written off due to an accounting error in summer 2023, remained unspent.
Meanwhile, all USAI funds were allocated by the end of 2024, with the last package approved on December 30.
As a result, Ukraine was set to receive approximately $2.3 billion in weapons from Pentagon stockpiles over the past two months, including artillery and missile ammunition, air defense systems, and anti-tank weapons. While these shipments are not publicly tracked, there is no certainty that all allocated aid has already been delivered.