The Biden administration announced Tuesday it would send Ukraine a new emergency military aid package worth $300 million. This is the first tranche of weapons Washington has sent to an increasingly desperate Kiev since late December.
“Ukrainian forces have fought valiantly and bravely throughout this war, but now they are forced to ration ammunition under pressure on multiple fronts, and we are already seeing the impact on the battlefield.” Jake Sullivan, the National Security Adviser to the President, told reporters. White House.
“Even if Russian troops advance and artillery fire opens, Ukraine does not have enough ammunition to fight back. It is costing the terrain, costing lives, and inflicting strategic damage on the United States and the NATO alliance ” he added.
“So today, on behalf of President Biden, I am announcing an emergency package of $300 worth of arms and security assistance for Ukraine’s immediate needs.”
The United States has been unable to commit to any critical aid to Ukraine since Dec. 27, when it announced a final aid package worth up to $250 million. Although some weapons and equipment continue to trickle into the country, additional funds to Kiev remain prohibited by the Republican leadership in Congress.
The Pentagon was able to build the package using credits reimbursed to the Pentagon for recent weapons purchases, two senior defense officials told reporters ahead of the announcement.
“Considering the situation on the battlefield, [President Biden], [Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin] Other people were concerned about what was going on and were looking to see if there was anything we could do,” one official explained. “While that discussion was going on, savings started to come in. This has happened before and could happen again.”
A second defense official pointed to savings from recent bulk purchase negotiations, including 25mm ammunition, which was initially estimated to cost $130 per round but ended up costing $130 per round. It remained at $93.
But the first official also said that while the savings would “help widen the circle” of new funding for Ukraine as it struggles with winter fighting, it was “a bit of an ad hoc or one-off measure.” He also emphasized.
“We don’t know when future savings will come in, and we certainly can’t rely on this as a business vehicle,” they said, urging the House to act and allow a vote on Biden’s additional requests. I urged him to do so.
The Biden administration has been pressuring Congress since October to pass an additional $105 billion spending bill that includes a significant portion of military aid to Ukraine. However, House Republican leaders have refused to bring the bill to a vote.
The Senate managed to pass a $95 billion foreign aid package last month with the help of 22 Republicans, but House conservatives rejected the bill outright, with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) He refused to submit it to the floor.
House Democrats on Tuesday started efforts To force a vote on aid to Ukraine, some Republicans will need to support the bill over the objections of Republican leadership.
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