Biden secretly asks Congress for additional $24Bln for Ukraine: Report
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US President Joe Biden secretly approves a $24 billion aid package for Ukraine just months before Trump is set to take office.
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US President Joe Biden walks out to speak in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington on November 26, 2024. (AP)
US President Joe Biden has discreetly requested Congress to approve an additional $24 billion in aid for Ukraine, Politico reported on Wednesday, citing an official document.
The report revealed that the Biden administration seeks to incorporate this funding into the broader government spending package expected to pass in December. Two congressional aides confirmed to Politico that the request was submitted on Monday.
Of the $24 billion in requested funding, approximately two-thirds, or $16 billion, is earmarked for replenishing US military stocks, with the remaining amount allocated to the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.
"America LAST!!! Not only is the Biden/Harris admin[istration] giving another $24 BILLION to Ukraine, they are also considering giving nuclear weapons to Ukraine," Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene said on X later in the day in reply to the news piece.
The request comes at a time when people in the US are "suffering" without assistance, she added.
"Congress must not give him a free gift to further sabotage President [elect] Trump's peace negotiations on the way out the door. Any Biden funding demands should be DOA [military acronym, Dead on Arrival]," Senator Mike Lee said in a separate post.
This comes as tensions are heated in the region regarding Western weapons aid to Ukraine.
Last week, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters in Laos that the White House is preparing to unveil a support package for Ukraine worth up to $275 million.
“Later today, the White House will be announcing additional security assistance for Ukraine worth up to $275 million to meet critical battlefield needs, and that would include munitions for rockets systems and artillery and anti-tank weapons,” Austin said on November 20.
The latest aid package came as the Biden administration rushed to deliver the remaining approximately $7 billion in military aid to Ukraine before Trump assumes office, amid concerns that his administration would halt weapons shipments before they reach Kiev.
The new aid package includes HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) ammunition, artillery shells, and Javelin surface-to-air missiles, in addition to a wide range of spare parts and equipment, according to officials.
Two administration officials told Politico on Nov. 6 that the White House plans to expedite the weapons delivery ahead of the January 2025 inauguration, as Trump has previously said he would cease military aid to Ukraine unless it agrees to hold peace negotiations with Russia.
