The deputy spokeswoman for the US Defence Department stated that military aid payments to Kiev will get “smaller.”
According to the Pentagon, Washington will soon run out of money set aside for Ukraine and will have to start cutting back on military assistance to Kiev on Thursday.
In order to break the deadlock and approve the White House’s proposal for a $106 billion aid package that includes money for Taiwan, Israel, and the Ukraine, the Defence Department has pleaded with Congress.
Pentagon deputy spokeswoman Sabrina Singh stated that about $60 billion has been spent by Washington on Ukraine, with over 95% of the financing already having been allocated. Out of that amount, she claimed, only roughly $1 billion is still unutilized. The remaining funds will be utilised to replenish Ukraine’s stock of military hardware with newly ordered items.
Singh informed reporters that while the Pentagon will still deliver military aid packages, they are “getting smaller.” “We have had to metre out our support for Ukraine,” Singh said.
Sixteen billion of the $106 billion that Biden has asked Congress for will go towards emergency funds for Ukraine.
By passing a $14 billion stand-alone plan for West Jerusalem last week, the House of Representatives, which is controlled by Republicans, attempted to divide aid for Israel and Ukraine. The US Senate’s Democratic majority rejected the House plan on Tuesday, requiring Republicans to accept the Biden administration’s entire package, which is opposed by the White House.
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According to information released by the US State Department last week, since hostilities between Russia and Ukraine began in February 2022, the US has spent almost $44.2 billion on military assistance to Kiev. Between 2014 and 2022, an additional $3 billion was also spent on this cause.
Funding for humanitarian and economic aid to Ukraine has also run out, according to testimony given by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) before the Senate on Wednesday. According to Erin McKee, assistant administrator of the agency, the final tranche was given before September 30 of that fiscal year. She also stated that if the money did not continue, Ukraine’s economic stability would be at jeopardy.
