President Biden on Thursday directed that Ukraine receive the remaining $5.5 billion worth of American weapons and equipment previously authorized by Congress, underlining his commitment to Kyiv’s cause ahead of his meeting Thursday with President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House.
The administration’s announcement also includes separate funding of about $2.4 billion through what’s known as the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which will provide Ukraine with air defenses, drones and other weapons that over the long term will help to sustain its military needs.
The president also approved the transfer of the Joint Standoff Weapon, a long-range munition that will help Ukraine strike faraway Russian positions in its own territory and within Ukraine, as well as one Patriot missile-defense system to protect Ukrainian cities facing consistent Russian bombardment. The announcement included the expansion of the F-16 pilot-training program for 18 additional Ukrainian pilots.
“Through these actions, my message is clear: The U.S. will provide Ukraine with the support it needs to win this war,” Biden said in a statement.
Biden’s announcement came on what could be a pivotal day for Zelensky, who retains significant support in Washington but has faced relentless criticism from Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and has recently angered some GOP backers over perceived political missteps. Zelensky is meeting with Biden as well as with congressional leaders from both parties and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee.
During his visit, Zelensky is set to present his full “victory plan” in Washington, which U.S. officials have described as underwhelming, saying that Ukraine is mainly asking for advanced weapons to continue repelling Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces.
The aid plan announced Thursday concludes a dispute between the White House and Congress that averts the possibility that previously authorized funding for Ukraine could be lost after the fiscal year ends Sept 30. It assures funding for Ukraine at least through the end of Biden’s term but doesn’t give the administration the flexibility it sought to potentially use the money for any new programs, only existing ones.
Critics from both parties contended that the administration had dragged its feet on providing weaponry to Ukraine, while administration officials pointed out that the supplemental funding bill first proposed last fall wasn’t passed until April, thus forcing officials to scramble to get the money spent on time.
“Just the dribbling of what we’ve authorized—why in the world would you do that?” said Sen. Roger Wicker (R., Miss.), the top-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee. “That doesn’t sound like a good way to help our friends.”
Biden has also declined to lift restrictions on Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles against Russia, despite Kyiv and European allies, as well as members of Congress, openly calling for him to do so. The administration has argued such a move could escalate the conflict with Russia.
“I think at this point, we need to make the case strongly to the administration that they need to provide permission for him to strike deeper into Russia,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.).
Russia and Ukraine are in an effective stalemate, with Moscow pushing to solidify gains in the southeast even as Ukraine holds, for now, the territory it took in a bold offensive inside Russia in the Kursk region.
Much has changed in the U.S. and Ukraine since Zelensky received a hero’s welcome while delivering a joint address in a packed House chamber two years ago. Republicans were sharply divided earlier this year in votes to approve a $95 billion package of new aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, and the uncertainty over which party will control the White House and Congress next year has cast doubt over future assistance.
At his campaign rallies, Trump has pledged to end the war and jabbed at Zelensky.
“‘We will win, we will win,’” the former president said, mimicking Zelensky’s accent, at a rally in Pennsylvania this week. “He’s been saying that for three years. Every time Zelensky comes to the U.S. he walks away with $100 billion,” he said, to boos. “But we’re stuck in that war unless I’m president.”
Trump won’t be meeting with Zelensky during this visit to the U.S., according to people familiar with his plans.
In a recent interview with the New Yorker, Zelensky said Trump “doesn’t really know how to stop the war even if he might think he knows how” and that Trump’s vice presidential pick, Ohio Sen. JD Vance—an outspoken opponent of Ukraine aid—is “too radical.”
Some Republican lawmakers complained that Zelensky’s appearance at an ammunition factory in Pennsylvania alongside Gov. Josh Shapiro and Sen. Bob Casey, both Democrats, was inappropriate.
In a letter Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) demanded that Zelensky fire the Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S. for organizing the event, denouncing it as “election interference.” Johnson said he had no plans to meet with the Ukrainian president.
“It was a major screw-up,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.), an ally of Trump who has been supportive of Ukraine aid.
Sen. Mike Rounds (R., S.D.) said it is up to Zelensky to begin repair work with Trump and other Republicans right away. “He’s working with us to get more resources for his country, but these types of activities probably do not help his cause long-term.”
Casey, who is running for re-election, scoffed at the idea that Zelensky’s appearance at the plant, which makes shells for Ukraine, was political. “How could you be against him visiting a plant where they’re helping Ukraine win the war?” Casey said.
Supporters of Ukraine in Congress say they’re expecting that Zelensky will need another aid package early next year, or potentially in the lame-duck period between Election Day and Jan. 3, when the new Congress will be sworn in.
“The most critical element is assurance of uninterrupted support over the course of the next several months and beyond, and that’s what I hope we can assure him,” said Sen. Jack Reed (D., R.I.), chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Vivian Salama contributed to this article.
Write to Lindsay Wise at lindsay.wise@wsj.com, Gordon Lubold at gordon.lubold@wsj.com and Alexander Ward at alex.ward@wsj.com
