Pentagon says not to reprogram US funds to support Ukraine
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The Pentagon underlines that the United States will not reformulate its funds in order to give funds to Ukraine.
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President Joe Biden meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the East Room of the White House, September 21, 2023 (AP)
The US Defense Department has clarified that it is not currently contemplating a reprogramming request to allocate funds for the continued support of Ukraine, Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder said on Thursday.
The announcement came during a press briefing held on Thursday, offering insights into the department's stance on financing military assistance to Ukraine.
"Reprogramming is always an option for urgent needs. At this time right now, though, to my knowledge, no decision has been made on using reprogramming as a way to support Ukraine's security assistance," Ryder stated.
Reprogramming, as defined by the Defense Department Comptroller, entails modifying the allocation of funds or transferring funds between various appropriations or legal subdivisions within a particular appropriation.
While this mechanism remains on the table for addressing immediate requirements, it is not currently being pursued to aid Ukraine.
The Pentagon has, however, emphasized its continued commitment to collaborating with the US Congress to secure the necessary resources for supporting Ukraine.
As of now, the Department still possesses several billion dollars earmarked for Ukraine assistance. This surplus exists primarily due to the absence of new spending measures approved by Congress.
Ryder underlined that the Pentagon was dedicated to working in tandem with Congress to obtain a Ukraine supplement and a full budget to ensure the sustained security of Ukraine.
Ukraine would almost surely lose its war against Russia if the United States quits supplying Kiev with military aid, member of the Ukrainian parliament Aleksey Goncharenko made it clear on Sunday.
"Without the support of the USA, we have almost no chance of holding out," Goncharenko wrote on Telegram.
His words came a day after US Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy proposed cutting military aid to Ukraine from the financing bill in order to avoid a government shutdown.
The House Speaker warned that favoring "Ukraine over America" may lead to "real problems". He also pointed out that were it not for the aid to Ukraine, US lawmakers may have enacted a last-minute budget plan to extend government financing beyond September and prevent a potential shutdown.
The White House announced on Sunday that US President Joe Biden signed a temporary spending bill, set only to last 45 days, which had passed by Congress to ensure ongoing government funding until November 17.
The funding bill passed by Congress on Saturday left out new aid to Ukraine amid opposition from some hardline Republicans.
After aid drop, albeit temporary, Kiev seeks Washington to ensure flow
Earlier on Sunday, Ukraine said it was working with the United States to ensure new military aid after US lawmakers dropped additional funding for Kiev in a last-minute deal to avoid a government shutdown.
"The Ukrainian government is now actively working with its American partners to ensure that the new US budget decision, which will be developed over the next 45 days, includes new funds to help Ukraine," Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko confirmed.
Nikolenko added that "the situation with the US temporary budget will not stop the flow of aid to Ukraine, which was announced earlier."
Meanwhile, Biden said on Sunday the United States "will not walk away" from Ukraine despite the shutdown deal.
The US President vowed that the United States would not abandon Ukraine despite aid being dropped from a deal to avoid a government shutdown,
"I want to assure our American allies, the American people and the people in Ukraine that you can count on our support. We will not walk away," Biden said in an address from the White House.
He further added there was an "overwhelming sense of urgency" to get Congress to pass a new package of assistance to Ukraine in the days and weeks to come as the war continues.
Biden suggested that Democrats have made a deal with Republicans on support for Ukraine.
Ukraine has relied heavily on Western support since the start of the war last year. The United States has been the country's biggest financial backer, providing it with over $40 billion in military assistance.
But the issue of sending more funds to Ukraine has caused turmoil among the politicians in Washington, where some Republican lawmakers have pushed for deep spending cuts.
88 voted in favor of the decision while nine voted against it. Those who reportedly voted against include Republican Senators Marsha Blackburn, Mike Braun, Ted Cruz, Bill Hagerty, Mike Lee, Roger Marshall, Rand Paul, Eric Schmitt, and J.D. Vance.
If funding measures had not gone into effect before October 1, federal agencies would have been forced to halt "nonessential" work and paychecks until the shutdown is lifted, which also goes for the Small Business Administration, which is responsible for processing new business loans for small businesses.
