National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan Says Biden Asked Him to Oversee ‘Massive Increase’ in Arms Shipments to Ukraine Before His Term Ends

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  • Biden wants to help Ukraine before he leaves office.

  • Jake Sullivan told ABC News that Biden aims to help Ukraine “strengthen” its position.

  • President-elect Trump has been skeptical about the extent of US aid sent to Ukraine.

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Sunday that President Joe Biden was doing what he could to “strengthen” Ukraine’s position as the commander-in-chief prepares to leave office in just under two months.

Sullivan made the remarks on ABC’s “This Week,” telling chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl that Biden aims to continue to advance its foreign policy goals – which includes ceasefire discussions between Israel and Hamas – even as President-elect Donald Trump is to be sworn in again on January 20.

“We will do everything in our power during these 50 days to provide Ukraine with all the tools we possibly can to strengthen their position on the battlefield so they will be stronger at the negotiating table,” Sullivan said. “And President Biden directed me to oversee a massive increase in the military equipment that we are providing to Ukraine so that we have spent every dollar that Congress has allocated to us by the time President Biden leaves office.”

Last month, Biden gave the go-ahead for Ukraine’s use of powerful US-supplied ATACMS long-range missiles to strike in Russia.

Trump has expressed skepticism on the scale of aid sent to Ukraine, putting him at odds with Biden, who has been a staunch ally of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the country continues its fight against Russia.

“I have encouraged the Ukrainian team to engage the incoming team as well as engage all of our allies and partners because again, on January 21st, the war in Ukraine is not just going away,” Sullivan told Karl. “Obviously, the new team will have its own policy, its own approach, and I can’t speak to that, but what I can do is make sure that we put Ukraine in the best possible position when we’re passing the baton.”

Read the original article about Business Insider