The Biden administration announced an additional military aid package for Ukraine on Tuesday, even as the Pentagon has overdrawn billions of dollars for its ongoing support for Kyiv’s war against Russia.
The Pentagon will quickly deliver an additional $300 million in weapons aid to Ukraine, the first such package delivered by the Biden administration since December 2023, The Associated Press reported on Tuesday. The Pentagon warned in December that it had run out of replenishment funds, and as of March has overdrawn the funds by $10 billion.
“On behalf of President Biden, I’m announcing an emergency package of security assistance of $300 million worth of weapons and equipment to address some of Ukraine’s pressing needs,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters during a press briefing on Tuesday. “This is possible because of unanticipated cost savings and contracts the [Department of Defense] negotiated to replace equipment we’ve already sent to Ukraine through previous drawdowns.”
The replenishment funding system allows the Pentagon to pull from existing weapons and military equipment in reserves under the presidential drawdown authority. A senior defense official told reporters on Tuesday that the $300 million aid package is a “one-time shot” unless Congress can approve additional funds, according to the AP.
The Biden administration is urging Congress to approve a supplemental package that would include $60 billion in aid to Ukraine and roughly $35 billion of other international aid. Congress is currently deliberating the supplemental, but several lawmakers have become increasingly hesitant about Biden’s proposal amid concerns that Kyiv may not be able to secure a military victory against Russia.
Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russia has largely stalled even as Kyiv has already taken in over $73 billion in military aid from the U.S. alone since war first broke out in February 2022. Ukraine is running low on munitions and weapons, while Russia’s war machine continues to produce military equipment at a rapid rate.
Jake Smith on March 12, 2024
