The US has been providing Ukraine with a variety of forms of assistance since the start of the war with Russia in February 2022. The core component of US support has been the military, humanitarian and budgetary aid the Biden administration has been providing to Kyiv. Congress has authorised billions of dollars for Ukraine, giving the Pentagon, State Department and other agencies the resources to keep the assistance flowing. In December, Congress passed a government funding bill containing $45bn in Ukraine aid.
The US has also been using economic measures to penalise Moscow for the invasion, imposing hundreds of sanctions against Russian government officials, companies and wealthy elites connected to President Vladimir Putin. In March, Biden banned US imports of Russian oil. After Moscow announced the annexation of four eastern Ukrainian territories in September, Washington also imposed sanctions on hundreds of Russia-linked firms and officials.
The US administration has also announced dozens of military aid packages to Ukraine, including US-made Javelin anti-tank missiles, howitzers, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), Patriot missile air defence system and Abrams tanks. US officials have accused Russian forces of perpetrating human-rights abuses in Ukraine and have called for accountability, backing Ukrainian and international efforts to investigate and prosecute any abuses.
The Biden administration has also provided diplomatic support for Ukraine, with Biden himself visiting Kyiv this week to highlight the US commitment to Ukraine as well as the shortcomings of the Russian offensive. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin have also visited Ukraine over the past year. Biden has stressed NATO unity and support for Zelenskyy’s government as a key contributor to what he calls Putin’s failure in Ukraine, while also pushing to condemn the Russian invasion at international bodies, including the United Nations General Assembly.