WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. on Wednesday introduced what officers say might be the ultimate bundle of navy help to Ukraine except Congress approves supplemental funding laws that’s stalled on Capitol Hill.
The weapons, value as much as $250 million, embody an array of air munitions and different missiles, artillery, anti-armor techniques, ammunition, demolition and medical tools and elements. The help, offered by way of the Presidential Drawdown Authority, can be pulled from Pentagon stockpiles.
In an announcement, Marine Lt. Col. Garron Garn, a Pentagon spokesman stated there isn’t any extra funding to exchange the weapons taken from division shares. And the Ukraine Safety Help Initiative, which offers long-term funding for future weapons contracts, can be out of cash.
Because of this, Garn stated Wednesday, “With out the supplemental funding, there can be a shortfall in replenishing U.S. navy shares, affecting American navy readiness.”
President Joe Biden is urging Congress to move a $110 billion help bundle for Ukraine, Israel and different nationwide safety wants. It contains $61.4 billion for Ukraine, with about half to replenish Pentagon shares. It additionally contains about $14 billion for Israel because it fights Hamas and $14 billion for U.S. border safety. Different funds would go for safety wants within the Asia-Pacific.
Because of an accounting error that overvalued among the weapons despatched to Ukraine over the previous yr or extra, there’s nonetheless about $4.2 billion in restored drawdown authority. However because the Pentagon has no cash to replenish stock despatched to Kyiv, the division should “rigorously assess” any future help and its implications on the U.S. navy’s capability to guard America, Garn stated.
That is the 54th tranche of navy help taken from division cabinets and despatched to Ukraine, and it’s comparable in dimension and contents to most of the different latest packages.
U.S. protection and authorities leaders have argued that the weapons are essential for Ukraine to keep up its protection and proceed efforts to mount an offensive in opposition to Russian forces in the course of the winter months.
In a Pentagon briefing final week, Air Drive Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder famous the latest letter that the Protection Division comptroller despatched to Congress warning that the U.S. can be utilizing up the final of its replenishment funds by the top of the yr.
“As soon as these funds are obligated, we may have exhausted the funding out there for us to offer safety help to Ukraine,” stated Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary. “We’d, once more, proceed to induce the passage of the supplemental that we’ve submitted. … It’s crucial that we’ve got the funds wanted to make sure that they get probably the most pressing battlefield capabilities that they require.”
The newest help bundle comes because the warfare in Ukraine drags on into its twenty second month. Russia fired virtually 50 Shahed drones at targets in Ukraine and shelled a practice station within the southern metropolis of Kherson the place greater than 100 civilians had been gathered to catch a practice to Kyiv. And a day earlier, Ukrainian warplanes broken a Russian ship moored within the Black Sea off Crimea as troopers on either side are struggling to make a lot progress alongside the entrance strains.
Lolita C. Baldor, The Related Press
