US military aid to Ukraine running out
American military aid to Ukraine will run out by the end of the year, the White House warned yesterday, adding that Russia will make battlefield gains unless Congress agrees new funds for Kyiv.
“Cutting off the flow of US weapons and equipment will kneecap Ukraine on the battlefield, not only putting at risk the gains Ukraine has made but increasing the likelihood of Russian military victories,” Shalanda Young, the White House budget chief, wrote to congressional leaders.
Her stark assessment of what will happen if Washington cannot continue providing weapons to Ukraine comes as Joe Biden pushes for US$106 billion (NZ$172b) in emergency funds for his foreign policy priorities.
The president has repeatedly urged hardline Republicans in Congress to continue funding Kyiv’s struggles against the Russian invasion, arguing that the support is vital to America’s security.
“I want to be clear – without congressional action, by the end of the year we will run out of resources to procure more weapons and equipment for Ukraine and to provide equipment from US military stocks,” Young wrote in her letter to party leaders in Congress and the Senate.
“There is no magical pot of funding available to meet this moment. We are out of money – and nearly out of time.”
She said the Pentagon had used 97% of the US$62.3b it had received to support Ukraine as of mid-November, while the State Department had exhausted all of the US$4.7b it was allocated for security assistance. “Already, our packages of security assistance have become smaller and the deliveries of aid have become more limited,” she wrote.
“If our security assistance stops, it will cause significant issues for Ukraine. While our allies around the world have stepped up to do more, US support is critical and cannot be replicated by others.”
Young also made it clear that Ukraine requires economic support to maintain its fight against Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
“If Ukraine’s economy collapses, they will not be able to keep fighting, full stop,” she warned. “Putin understands this well, which is why Russia has made destroying Ukraine’s economy central to its strategy – which you can see in its attacks against Ukraine’s grain exports and energy infrastructure.” - Telegraph Group