Biden said in a statement following the attacks that he directed the Department of Defense to continue it's "surge" of weapons deliveries to Ukraine in the wake of the attack. Biden's statement comes as his administration works to send as much assistance to Ukraine as possible before Trump, who has vowed to bring a quick end to the war, assumes office.
"The purpose of this outrageous attack was to cut off the Ukrainian people's access to heat and electricity during winter and to jeopardize the safety of its grid," Biden said in a statement on Wednesday. "In recent months, the United States has provided Ukraine with hundreds of air defense missiles, and more are on the way. I have directed the Department of Defense to continue its surge of weapons deliveries to Ukraine, and the United States will continue to work tirelessly to strengthen Ukraine's position in its defense against Russian forces."
Russia launched more than 70 missiles in addition to drones targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure. The strikes wounded at least six people in the northeastern city of Kharkiv and killed one in the region of Dnipropetrovsk, the governors there said. The attack marks the thirteenth time this year that Russia has targeted Ukraine's power grid, according to DTEK, the country's largest energy provider.
Trump and other Republicans have repeatedly questioned the level of U.S. financial involvement in the conflict, which started nearly three years ago.
"Every time Zelensky comes to the United States, he walks away with $100 billion," Trump quipped at a campaign event in Georgia this past September. "We're stuck in that war unless I'm president," he said at the rally.
Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the U.S has committed $175 billion in aid, including approximately $61.4 billion in security assistance. Biden has also eased limits on Ukraine using American longer-range missiles against targets inside Russia for the first time in mid-November.
On Dec. 2, the Biden Administration announced $724 million in military assistance, which was sent from the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), already approved by Congress. The U.S. pledged $988 million in military aid to Ukraine on Dec. 7, which included drones and munitions for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), sent via the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI).
On Dec. 12, another military aid package to Kyiv worth $500 million was unveiled, sent via the PDA. The Biden Administration is expected to announce its final Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative package, using up the remaining funds to purchase new weapons for Ukraine, according to reporting from Reuters.
There is $5.6 billion remaining of presidential drawdown authority. There is also about $2.2 billion remaining in the USAI for Biden to utilize. John Kirby, the U.S. national security spokesman, reaffirmed that Biden would "continue to provide additional packages right up to the end of this administration," speaking to reporters on Dec. 13.
Trump has said he wants to bring the war to an end, which has some concerned he could cut off financial support to Ukraine once he is sworn into office. Many Republicans, who will control both the House and Senate in January, have also soured on aid to Ukraine as well increasing the possibility that U.S. financial support for Ukraine could be coming to an end.
However, when asked by TIME magazine if he would abandon Ukraine when he assumes office the president-elect said he wanted to "reach an agreement" in the war.
"I want to reach an agreement, and the only way you're going to reach an agreement is not to abandon," Trump said. "You understand what that means, right?"
When pushed on the topic, Trump continued, saying, "You can't reach an agreement if you abandon, in my opinion. And I disagree with the whole thing, because it should have never happened. Putin would have never invaded Ukraine if I were president for numerous reasons."
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Trump repeatedly promised on the campaign trail to end the war as soon as taking office. While his plans have not fully been revealed, his efforts could suggest he's considering a settlement involving the sacrifice of Ukrainian territory.