Pentagon declares military aid funds for Ukraine will run out by December 30 – Bloomberg
The US Department of Defense will run out of money to replace weapons sent to Ukraine by December 30 if Congress does not approve new funding. This was reported by Bloomberg, which has a letter from Pentagon Comptroller Michael McCord to the heads of the House and Senate Defense Policy and Appropriations Committees.
According to McCord, the US Department of Defense is spending the last $1.07 billion on the purchase of new weapons and equipment that will replace those that were decommissioned and sent to Ukraine, but on December 30, its accounts will be empty.
"Once these funds are obligated, the department will have exhausted the funding available to us for security assistance to Ukraine," he wrote.
According to the publication, with this letter, the Pentagon increases pressure on Congress in order to break the deadlock regarding the allocation of more than $60 billion, which US President Joe Biden requested to help Ukraine repel Russian troops.
"In order to protect US military readiness, absent congressional action to approve the supplemental, the department anticipates only one addition drawdown package will be possible," the comptroller said.
On December 12, the Biden administration announced that it was sending Ukraine a package of US supplies worth $200 million, which includes artillery shells, ammunition for small arms and other weapons.
Once that happens, the Pentagon will be able to send another aid package to Ukraine, McCord said.
Although the letter presses members of Congress to reach a deal on Ukraine funding, it also means House Republicans who broke for Christmas break without acting on the funding have some time to hammer one out when they come back after January 1.
According to Politico, the US Senate will continue negotiations on the Biden administration's request for funds for the Armed Forces.
Commenting on the situation with Western military aid to Ukraine, Putin said that "everything is brought to Ukrainians for free", but "the freebie ends". In response, the State Department stated that Congress should level this rate of the head of the Kremlin.
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