The US has decided to provide Ukraine with $300 million worth of weapons, despite the fact that it requires $10 billion to replenish the stockpile of arms it has previously sent to Kyiv to support its ongoing battle against the Russian invasion.
The Pentagon managed to uncover cost savings in its contracts in order to finance the weapons package, as Congress has yet to pass additional aid.
On Tuesday, senior defense officials disclosed the first weapons package since late last year when the Pentagon declared a lack of funds to provide additional weapons to the war-torn country.
In recent times, authorities have disclosed the overdraft amounting to $10 billion. By utilizing these funds to restock their inventory, the Pentagon has successfully dispatched existing munitions, air defense systems, and other weapons from their reserve stockpiles. This has been made possible through the presidential drawdown authority, allowing the transfer of weapons to Ukraine, followed by the ordering of new weapons to replenish the depleted stores.
According to a defence official, the recently announced package of aid to Ukraine is a temporary measure. This will remain in effect until Congress approves additional aid for Ukraine, as stipulated in a proposed $60 billion supplemental aid bill. Alternatively, the temporary aid package will continue until further budget reductions can be identified.
According to the official, the upcoming package will consist of anti-aircraft missiles, artillery rounds, and armor systems.
On Tuesday, Polish President Andrzej Duda engaged in discussions with congressional leaders from both parties. Additionally, he had a scheduled meeting with President Joe Biden. These meetings aimed to initiate the US aid process, despite the opposition from House Republicans who remain steadfastly against providing further aid.
Despite the high likelihood of the lower chamber passing it, House Speaker Mike Johnson has declined to bring the $95bn package, which also includes aid for Israel and Taiwan, to the floor. Democrats are making an attempt to force a vote through a discharge petition, but the chances of success are slim. This effort would require the support of a majority – 218 members.
Ukrainian forces on the front lines are currently rationing munitions as they try to hold their ground, while Russia has an abundance of supplies due to its transition into a war economy.
Republicans have been asserting that the United States’ southern border must be secured before any assistance can be provided to Ukraine. However, they recently declined a bipartisan border bill after it was opposed by former President Donald Trump.
Defence officials have announced that they are currently awaiting the supplemental to address the $10 billion deficit in the budget.
Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks emphasized the need for $10 billion, stating that alternative methods would have to be sought if the funding is not secured.
She added that at the moment, their main focus is on the necessity of the supplemental.
In June of last year, the Pentagon unexpectedly discovered additional funds for Ukraine. The revelation came after it acknowledged that it had overestimated the value of previous weapons shipments to the country by $6.2 billion.
According to Director of the CIA William Burns, Ukraine has received over $44.2bn in aid from the US since Russia’s invasion began. Burns stated that Ukrainian units have reported being critically low on artillery shells and other ammunition. He clarified that the recent withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Avdiika in the east was due to failures in resupply, rather than a lack of determination on the part of the Ukrainians.
