US President Joe Biden will send “as much aid as possible” to Ukraine in its final few months in power, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday during a trip to Brussels.

“President Biden has committed to making sure that every dollar we have at our disposal will be pushed out the door between now and 20 January,” when Donald Trump is due to be sworn in to power, Blinken said.

The US will “adapt and adjust” what latest equipment it is sending, without providing details on what military equipment the US plans to provide the country, which is nearing its third year of war against neighbouring Russia.

He added that NATO countries should focus their efforts on ensuring Ukraine “has the money, munitions and mobilised forces” to either fight effectively in 2025, or negotiate peace from a position of strength.

There is a shadow of political uncertainty surrounding how the US will approach its policy on the war following the inaugaration of Trump.

The US is currently the largest provider of military aid to Ukraine, upon which it is heavily reliant. Trump has not given concrete details on what his administrations approach to the war would be, but has said multiple times that he would consider halting funds to the war war-torn country.

The war in Ukraine has shown no signs of slowing down, with Russia launching a huge attack on the country’s capital, Kyiv, on Wednesday with a combination of missile and drones.

Eight regions across Ukraine were attacked in total on Wednesday, with Russia firing six ballistic and cruise missiles and 90 drones, according to the Ukrainian air force.

North Korean troops have also been confirmed to be present in the war, with the US State Department saying that most of them are fighting to drive Ukraine’s army off Russian soil in the Kursk region, where Ukraine launched a surprise incursion earlier this year.

Russia’s military has trained the North Korean soldiers in artillery, drone skills and basic infantry operations, including trench clearing, said State Department spokesman Vedant Patel on Tuesday.

Kyiv officials say that Russia has deployed around 50,000 troops in a bid to dislodge Ukrainian soldiers from the Kursk region.

Russia has in recent months been assembling forces for a counteroffensive in Kursk, according to the Institute for the Study of War think tank, though the timescale of the operation isn’t known.

Ukraine could develop a rudimentary nuclear bomb within months if Donald Trump pulls US military aid, a briefing paper prepared for the country’s Ministry of Defence has revealed.

The weapon would be built from plutonium and use similar technology to the nuclear bomb dropped on Nagasaki in 1945, the report stated.

Despite giving up its nuclear arsenal in 1996, Kyivis still in control of nine operational reactors and has significant expertise on how to build the weapons.

It comes after Trump reportedly backed the shock ultimatum President Volodymyr Zelensky gave NATO last month when he seemed to demand either Ukraine is granted membership of the bloc or they would become a nuclear power.

Zelensky later clarified he had meant there was no alternative security guarantee and Kyiv has since denied they are considering building a nuclear bomb.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meets Donald Trump in September in New York

President Donald Trump meets with Russia’s Vladimir Putin at the G-20 Summit in Hamburg in July 2017

According to The Times, the briefing paper prepared for the Ministry of Defence reads: ‘Creating a simple atomic bomb, as the United States did within the framework of the Manhattan Project, would not be a difficult task 80 years later.’

‘The weight of reactor plutonium available to Ukraine can be estimated at seven tons … A significant nuclear weapons arsenal would require much less material,’ it continued.

The bomb would be big enough to destroy an entire Russian airbase or concentrated military or industrial targets, the document’s authors concluded.

It comes as president-elect Trump has famously pledged to end the Russia-Ukraine war within a day of becoming president and has boasted of his ‘very good relationship’ with President Putin.

He has also said the invasion would never have happened if he had been in the White House and has criticised Biden’s level of support for Ukraine, despite President Zelensky being adamantly against relinquishing territory to Russia.

It comes after Zelensky last month reportedly told NATO to let his country join the group or it will get nuclear weapons in a shock ultimatum that was allegedly backed by Trump.

The leader, 46, declared his bombshell proposal at the EU summit in Brussels – stating either NATO quickly accepts Ukraine into its alliance, or it will once again become a nuclear power, German newspaper Bild reported.

Zelensky made a bombshell announcement at an EU summit in Brussels, claiming he wanted NATO to let his country join the military alliance, or Ukraine would become a nuclear power

The bomb would be big enough to destroy an entire Russian airbase or concentrated military or industrial targets, the document’s authors concluded (stock photo)

Ukraine ‘starts preparing to build a NUCLEAR bomb

Zelensky had reportedly planned to present what is being dubbed his ‘victory plan’ to the heads of state and government of the European Union, but instead made the dramatic announcement to stunned reporters.

Speaking to the former American President Donald Trump, 78, some weeks ago, the Ukrainian leader declared: ‘Either Ukraine will have nuclear weapons, and then they will be our defence.

‘Or we will have to enter into some kind of alliance. Apart from NATO, we do not know of any effective alliances today.’

He said Trump had agreed with his proposal before he made the statement at the summit, insisting that a membership to NATO would provide his country with the ultimate security guarantee to protect it from Russia.

Last week it emerged that Trump could propose a 800-mile demilitarised zone between Russia and Ukraine as part of a plan to end the war early.

The plans, which were outlined by three Trump staffers, would involve the zone being policed by British and European troops.

It would mean that Russia would keep its territorial gains made in Ukraine with the current border frozen in place. Kyiv would also have to assure that it would not join NATO for 20 years.

Ukrainian servicemen of the 26th artillery brigade fire an AHS Krab self-propelled howitzer toward Russian positions near the front line in the Chasiv Yar area

Ukraine ‘starts preparing to build a NUCLEAR bomb

Under the plans the US would arm Ukraine in return for preventing Russia from restarting the war. However, responsibility for manning and financing the buffer zone would fall solely on Ukraine’s European allies.

‘We can do training and other support but the barrel of the gun is going to be European,’ a member of Trump’s team told the Wall Street Journal.

‘We are not sending American men and women to uphold peace in Ukraine. And we are not paying for it. Get the Poles, Germans, British and French to do it.’

Many analysts have warned that Trump is indeed likely to reduce US military aid to Ukraine and force Kyiv’s European partners to shoulder a huge burden to maintain an adequate supply of arms – a move that would certainly pile pressure on Zelensky to consider a negotiated settlement.

‘Trump does have a legitimate point about European allies having underperformed in defence and over-relied on Uncle Sam to protect them for too long, and this is a huge wake-up call to the West,’ Dr Russell Foster, Senior Lecturer in British and International Politics at King’s College London, told MailOnline.

‘But Europe, Canada, and Australasia have let their defence spending stagnate for so long, they have nowhere near the industrial base and military infrastructure to help defend Ukraine and themselves from further aggression without American help.

‘We are likely to see major calls for defence spending and investment across NATO – but this will take years to build up and be hugely expensive at a time of economic stagnation. The future of Western defence is now looking very bleak.’

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The Senator’s recent appointment as Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence has attracted fierce criticism.

Senator Shehu Buba, representing Bauchi State’s South Senatorial District, is facing intense scrutiny and backlash following allegations linking him to terror suspects in Northern Nigeria.

The Department of State Services (DSS) is investigating his potential involvement with wanted terrorists, while his constituents are mobilising for a historic recall.

Buba, once a respected figure in Bauchi politics, is under fire after being connected to Abubakar Idris, a known terrorist arrested in August 2024.

Idris’s arrest reportedly implicated Buba, sparking outrage among his constituents, who are demanding accountability and the senator’s removal.

READ ALSO: US told to issue visa ban to Nigerian Senator linked to terror suspect

A formal recall process has been initiated, with registered voters in his district pushing for a referendum to remove him from office.

“This is a matter of national security. We cannot have someone with such affiliations in office,” one constituent declared, according to reports.

The recall movement is gaining momentum as more people sign a petition to trigger the process. If successful, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will be required to conduct a referendum, potentially marking the first time a sitting senator is removed by his constituents.

Buba’s woes deepened with revelations about his origins. Despite claiming to represent Bauchi, investigations show he hails from Plateau State, raising questions about his legitimacy.

An anonymous community leader expressed frustration, stating, “We thought he was one of us, but he’s not even a Bauchi indigene.”

READ ALSO: Senator Buba fires back at Bauchi Gov over banditry allegation

Buba’s political rise has been controversial. After moving to Bauchi in 2001, he built connections through family ties and political maneuvering, eventually securing a position as the Caretaker Chairman of Toro Local Government.

His success in politics, including his controversial senatorial nomination in 2022, has raised doubts about his integrity. Critics argue that his rise was influenced by powerful figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Bauchi Governor Isa Yuguda.

Buba’s recent appointment as Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence has attracted fierce criticism. Political analysts argue that it is dangerous to have someone with such alleged links to terrorism overseeing national security matters.

“This is a grave error,” one analyst stated. “It’s a dangerous gamble to have him in charge of national security.”

With growing discontent, Buba has been noticeably absent from public events, fueling speculation that he is avoiding the backlash from his constituents. His dwindling visibility only adds to the tension, as many believe he is distancing himself from the growing outrage.