Ukraine aid to run out by Dec 30 after $1.07Bln transfer: Pentagon
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Without new funding approval, only one more aid package can be provided before the year-end.
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A Ukrainian soldier carries a shell towards a howitzer on the front line in the outskirts of Lyman, Donbass region, Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023 (AP Photo/Bram Janssen)
Pentagon Comptroller Michael McCloud said in a letter obtained by Sputnik on Monday that the US will run out of Ukraine aid funding on December 30 after it completes a transfer of $1.07 billion to replenish US stocks of weapons sent to Ukraine.
"The Department will not execute these transfers until 15 days have passed following submission of this notification. Once these funds are obligated, the Department will have exhausted the funding available to us for security assistance to Ukraine," McCloud said in the letter dated December 15.
In the letter addressed to Congress, McCloud strongly advocated for lawmakers to endorse the $106 billion supplemental package proposed by Biden.
This funding is intended to address critical national security issues in the US, with a significant portion, approximately $60 billion, allocated specifically for Ukraine.
According to a spokesperson from the Pentagon, there is still $4.4 billion of the "restored" presidential drawdown authority earmarked for Ukraine. This amount serves as a credit, resulting from the Pentagon's acknowledgment that it had unintentionally omitted the proper quantity of military equipment in previous aid packages for Ukraine. McCloud emphasized that, without approval for fresh funding, the US can only deliver one more additional aid package to Ukraine before the year concludes.
Read more: Putin: Ukraine war a 'great tragedy' resulting from Western desires
Last Wednesday, US President Joe Biden pledged to send an additional $200 million in aid to Ukraine, as discussed in a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
This comes after Congress Republicans blocked a bill to send military aid worth almost $60 billion to Kiev. Republicans are ever-more openly rejecting the need to fund Ukraine, saying that President Joe Biden needs to devote more attention to domestic security, particularly to stopping illegal migration over the US-Mexican border.
Conservatives insisted on linking their approval of the package for these close foreign allies to Democrats and the White House agreeing to comprehensive immigration reforms.
However, it is worth noting that Biden's allocation of $200 million in aid does not rely on Congress' approval, instead, the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) will be supplying Kiev with US stock weaponry for the 44th time since the war began.
The package includes air defense system munition, ammo for high mobility artillery rocket systems, mine clearing equipment, tank ammo, additional artillery, missiles, anti-armor rockets, vehicles, and water trailers, more than 12 million small arms ammunition and grenades, demolition munitions, and finally, spare parts for maintenance equipment.
