As the transition of power in Washington looms, the Biden administration is set to leave President-elect Donald Trump with an unresolved question of foreign policy: what to do with the billions of dollars in unspent Ukraine aid. The Pentagon recently confirmed that several billion dollars remain in the Presidential Drawdown Authority fund, a key mechanism through which the US has been sending military assistance to Ukraine amid its ongoing conflict with Russia.

Since the escalation of hostilities between Ukraine and Russia in February 2022, the United States has allocated an estimated $122 billion in military, financial, and humanitarian aid to Kiev. This aid has been drawn primarily from two sources: direct congressional appropriations and the Presidential Drawdown Authority, a unique fund enabling the rapid transfer of arms and ammunition from US stockpiles to Ukraine. While the Biden administration has made use of this authority 72 times, the fund is not yet fully depleted. According to Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh, this leaves “a few billion dollars” for the incoming Trump administration to manage.

The unspent funds have sparked speculation about how Trump’s administration will approach the conflict in Ukraine. Reports suggest the remaining amount under the Presidential Drawdown Authority is around $4.8 billion. This surplus reflects the Pentagon’s logistical struggles to replenish US weapon stockpiles rapidly after shipments to Ukraine. According to Singh, “We were not able to resupply our own stocks fast enough,” creating a bottleneck that leaves Trump with a consequential decision to make.

Trump has been vocal........

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