On Tuesday, the Biden administration announced the U.S. will send a new military aid package for Ukraine worth $300 million, according to Reuters.
Additional funds for Ukraine have been stymied by Congressional Republicans for over a month.
The military package is the Biden administration’s 55th chunk of aid to Ukraine, according to Townhall.
US Announces $300 Million Package for Ukraine. Here's How the Biden Administration Got the Money.
https://t.co/BKpaJcAP9E— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) March 13, 2024
The Biden administration has been struggling to find ways to send more military assistance to Ukraine since Republican leaders rejected a bipartisan Senate proposal that would have sent billions in aid to Ukraine and Israel last month.
In an end-around play, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan explained the funding was coming from cost savings from Pentagon contracts that were not anticipated.
The “savings” would be used primarily for artillery rounds and munitions for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems.
“This ammunition will keep Ukraine’s guns firing for a period, but only a short period. It is nowhere near enough to meet Ukraine’s battlefield needs, and it will not prevent Ukraine from running out of ammunition in the weeks to come,” Sullivan said in the announcement.
The Department of Defense stated, “With a lack of replacement funds available to replenish DoD inventories, the Administration had been forced to pause PDA packages since December 2023.”
The “DoD is able to support this extraordinary package after identifying contract savings from previously appropriated supplemental funding that can be applied to replace DoD stocks,” the statement continued.
“Today’s announcement provides a short-term stop gap, but it is nowhere near enough to meet Ukraine’s battlefield needs. Without supplemental funding, DoD will remain hard-pressed to meet Ukraine’s capability requirements at a time when Russia is pressing its attacks against Ukrainian forces and cities.”
There is growing alarm among some U.S. allies as Congress continues to block aid for Ukraine. Former president Donald Trump has also threatened to halt funding for Ukraine if elected if NATO members fail to do their part.
In the meantime, Russia continues to push forward with its offensive in the east of Ukraine as the war grates into its third year.
On Monday, in an interview with France’s BFM television, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the situation on the war front is the best in three months. He claims Russian troops are no longer advancing after their capture last month of the eastern city of Avdiivka, according to Reuters.
Zelenskiy said Ukraine had improved its strategic position despite shortages of weaponry. He suggested the situation could change for the worse if new supplies were not forthcoming.
