Expert explains U.S. aid options for Ukraine before Trump's inauguration

He shared his opinions on Espreso TV.

"Regarding the latest U.S. aid package for Ukraine, there’s information that the Biden administration is preparing another one, but they haven't allocated it yet. There was still $2.8 billion in the 2024 budget planned for Ukraine, and an additional $2.8 billion was identified through a financial audit in the summer of '23," he said.

Katkov pointed out that the current administration has until January 20 to contract weapons for Ukraine.

"Technically, if the U.S. continues to allocate aid at the pace we've seen in recent weeks, they will have time to allocate another $2.8 billion. There's also another billion dollars left in the USAID program, which is essentially an order for the U.S. defense industry to produce weapons for Ukraine. So, in my opinion, there’s plenty of time to finalize those contracts before January 20," the expert concluded.

However, according to Oleh Katkov, the money identified as an accounting error should not be relied upon.

"We can probably forget about the money discovered as an accounting error. Despite everything, the Pentagon continues to operate as it always has. What matters to them is how much the weapons cost now, not how much they were initially estimated to cost before shrinkage and adjustments. The Pentagon has made this clear. For example, if a munition that once cost $500 now costs $3,500, they still believe that spending the higher amount is necessary to maintain combat readiness and resume supplies immediately," he said.

"We can debate whether that's the right approach, but unfortunately, we don't have another U.S. government or Pentagon offering similar support. So, while this aid can be criticized, it is still the only option we have, and it's unlikely anyone would be better off without it," Katkov added.

• The administration of current U.S. President Joe Biden is working to use all remaining funds to support Ukraine before the end of his term on January 20.