According to two U.S. officials who spoke to Reuters on Tuesday, the United States is putting together a fresh military aid package for Ukraine that might be worth up to $400 million. This is the first action of its kind in months, as more funding for Kyiv is still being blocked by Republican leaders in Congress.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the officials stated that a Tuesday statement was anticipated.
According to one of the insiders, the money for this package comes from credits that the Pentagon received back for recent purchases.
To replace supplies transferred to Ukraine, the U.S. Army in particular has been making large acquisitions of weapons and vehicles.
As money to restock supplies ran out in December 2023, there was the last drawdown.
Using the funds that have been returned to replenish stocks opens a narrow window to urgently allow more aid to be sent from existing stocks as the Biden administration waits for supplemental funding to be passed by lawmakers.
U.S. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, has backed military aid to Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, while his likely Republican opponent in the Nov. 5 U.S. election, former president Donald Trump, has a more isolationist stance.
The House is under pressure to pass a $95 billion national security package that bolsters aid for Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific. That legislation cleared the Senate on a 70-29 vote, but Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has resisted putting up the aid bill for a vote in the House.
Zelenskiy affirmed that Ukraine’s strategic position improved despite weapon shortages, suggesting the situation could change again if new supplies aren’t forthcoming.
(Reuters)
