Final push: How Joe Biden is trying to assist Ukraine before leaving office.

While the newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump and his diverse team promise a swift resolution to the Russian-Ukrainian war shortly after the inauguration on January 20, 2025, outgoing White House occupant Joe Biden has decided to make a memorable farewell gesture in support of Ukraine.

One of Mr. Biden's final actions in this regard was the decision to forgive Kyiv a debt amounting to $4.65 billion. This refers to funds that were allocated to our country as a loan of $9.3 billion, which became part of a broader aid package totaling nearly $61 billion (approved by the House of Representatives and Senate in April of this year).

The decision was largely anticipated, as the support bill for Ukraine passed by Congress included the president's right to forgive 50% of the nine billion dollar loan after November 15, 2024. As noted by State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, the administration took a step "that was outlined in the law." He also emphasized that after the White House informed lawmakers of its intentions, they could have passed a resolution opposing the debt forgiveness. "But I would be surprised if Congress took such a step, given the overwhelming bipartisan support for providing aid," Mr. Miller stressed.

Nevertheless, Republican Senator Rand Paul, who had previously advocated for reducing aid to Ukraine, immediately initiated consideration of a resolution against forgiving 50% of the $9.3 billion. However, on the night of November 21, this initiative was rejected by a majority vote – 61 to 37. All Democratic senators, three independent legislators, and ten Republicans voted against denying Joe Biden the debt forgiveness. Thus, half of the loan to Ukraine will be forgiven, and the remaining 50% can be forgiven by the U.S. president after January 1, 2026. By that time, Donald Trump will be in the White House, and whether he will take such a step remains to be seen.

The Biden administration is not wasting time. Recently, the Pentagon announced a $275 million aid package for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which includes ammunition for HIMARS systems, 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds, 60mm and 81mm mortar shells, drones, Javelin and AT-4 anti-tank systems, TOW anti-tank missiles, as well as small arms, explosive munitions, and means of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear protection.

In addition, Western media reported that the White House has decided to send anti-personnel mines to Ukraine for the first time, which are banned under the multilateral Ottawa Treaty signed and ratified by Kyiv in 2005-2006. It is worth noting that neither the U.S. nor Russia are parties to this convention.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin explained that Washington decided to supply Ukraine with anti-personnel mines due to a change in the tactics employed by Russian forces. "They are no longer advancing with mechanized forces. They are operating with infantry that can approach and pave the way for mechanized troops," Mr. Austin emphasized, adding that the Ukrainian Armed Forces need "means that will help slow down" Russia's advance. The U.S. Secretary of Defense assured that these will be modernized infantry mines that will self-destruct over time and emphasized that Ukraine must clearly "document where they place these mines."

Shortly before the "money-mine" decisions, the White House authorized the Ukrainian Armed Forces to strike deep into Russian territory with long-range ATACMS missiles within the borders of 1991. The British newspaper The Times also reported that the U.S. lifted restrictions on Ukraine's use of British long-range Storm Shadow missiles.

The Biden administration also plans to soon submit a request to Congress for aid to Ukraine for 2025. According to U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, over the next two months, the White House intends to persuade lawmakers that additional funds for Kyiv will give Ukraine "the opportunity to achieve a stronger negotiating position." However, even if Congress does not agree with the arguments of the outgoing administration, Joe Biden intends to transfer at least the remaining previously approved funds to our country in full. According to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the White House will send Kyiv "every dollar available" before Donald Trump takes office on January 20.

In the aggressor country, Biden's recent actions are perceived as attempts to hinder a peaceful resolution. In particular, according to Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, the goal of the current U.S. administration is to "ensure the continuation of hostilities not only this year but also next year," thus Washington is "rushing to transfer the remaining volumes of military aid to the Kyiv regime before the inauguration of the new U.S. president." As aptly noted in a conversation with Lenta.UA by a representative of the domestic foreign policy agency, commenting on the latest developments, "Russia is large, but not even close to great." As they say, there’s nothing more to add.

“The end of Joe Biden's presidency in two months and his last significant decisions prompt reflections on what he has done for Ukraine. I have met with Joe Biden in various formats when he was vice president. After those meetings, I was convinced that Ukraine mattered to him and that he genuinely cares about it. From our first conversation, it was also clear that Biden is capable of making bold decisions. And it is under this lens that I consider his legacy now. Firstly, during his presidency, U.S. support for Ukraine has reached unprecedented levels, one might say record levels. Secondly, Biden has shown himself to be a statesman by withdrawing his candidacy from the election race. Whether he did this late or not is for political experts to assess. From my perspective, he undoubtedly acted as a statesman, placing national interests above political ambitions. The 46th President of the United States has already entered the history books, but he still has time to write a few new paragraphs,” notes former Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman on his Facebook.

Emphasizing that the past week has already brought good news, which we greatly appreciate, the former head of the Ukrainian government summarized: “In this war of authoritarianism against democracy, the Russians are conducting 'negotiations' with missiles, demonstrating impunity by killing civilians, and trying to intimidate and impose compliance with their agenda. That is why ongoing U.S. support is very important to withstand pressure and maintain unity among allies. The menu of possible decisions is well-known, and Ukraine has been articulating them at all levels for years: unconditional authorization for missile strikes deep into Russian territory with Western weapons, closing the skies over Ukraine, and inviting Ukraine to NATO. And in preparing for these decisions, it is essential to remember that for Ukrainians, our defenders, every day counts!”

Meanwhile, while the former head of the Cabinet speaks about expectations from the outgoing Biden administration, political scientist Viktor Nebozhenko expresses concerns regarding the old-new occupant of the White House: “In the United States, there is a cult of personality surrounding Trump. This first happened with Reagan, the second time with Obama, and now for the third time America has found its hero-Trump. Just a couple of months ago, everyone criticized the tired and decrepit U.S. President Biden, who had to withdraw from the presidential race due to criticism of his age. Now the winner of the presidential race, Trump, is 78 years old. And in power, such burdens mean that one year of the presidency feels like two. Thus, very soon Trump will be 'knocking' on 80 years. It is difficult to be a reformer or even a messiah at 80, especially in America, where the cult of youth, health, and strength prevails. And Trump's close, 'youthful' entourage may be tempted to help, tweak, or slightly 'replace' the weary and aging leader of the nation, whose mistakes and failures could negatively impact both the Republican Party and U.S. policy – including foreign policy.”