The Biden administration on Monday sent Congress an urgent warning about the need to approve tens of billions of dollars in military and economic assistance to Ukraine, saying Kyiv’s war effort to defend itself from Russia’s invasion may grind to a halt without it. In a letter to House and Senate leaders and released publicly, Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young warned the U.S. will run out of funding to send weapons and assistance to Ukraine by the end of the year, saying that would “kneecap” Ukraine on the battlefield.
Quick Read
- Urgent Request for Aid: The Biden administration has warned Congress about the urgent need for tens of billions of dollars in military and economic assistance to Ukraine, emphasizing that Ukraine’s defense efforts against Russia’s invasion may falter without it.
- Letter from Budget Director: Shalanda Young, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, sent a letter to Congress leaders highlighting the critical situation. She stated that the U.S. will run out of funding for military assistance to Ukraine by year’s end and has already exhausted funds for Ukraine’s economic support.
- Consequences of Funding Shortfall: The letter warned that without further funding, Ukraine’s economy could collapse, hindering its ability to continue the war effort.
- Challenges in Congress: Biden’s proposed aid package of nearly $106 billion, which includes assistance for Ukraine and Israel, is facing difficulties in Congress. There is growing skepticism and debate, particularly over the level of support for Ukraine.
- Existing Aid to Ukraine: Congress has already allocated $111 billion to assist Ukraine, covering military procurement, economic and civil assistance, and humanitarian aid. According to Young, nearly all of this funding has been depleted.
- Administration’s Current Measures: The Biden administration has reportedly slowed some military assistance to Ukraine to extend available resources while waiting for additional Congressional approval.
- Pressure on Congress to Act: The administration is urging Congress to act swiftly to provide the necessary aid, emphasizing the immediate need to support Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression.
- Recent Classified Briefing: A classified briefing was held for Congressional leaders to discuss the need for the aid package, with a focus on the urgency of support for both Ukraine and the U.S. military.
The Associated Press has the story:
White House: US is running out of money for Ukraine that could hinder fight against Russia
Newslooks- WASHINGTON (AP)
The Biden administration on Monday sent Congress an urgent warning about the need to approve tens of billions of dollars in military and economic assistance to Ukraine, saying Kyiv’s war effort to defend itself from Russia’s invasion may grind to a halt without it.
In a letter to House and Senate leaders and released publicly, Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young warned the U.S. will run out of funding to send weapons and assistance to Ukraine by the end of the year, saying that would “kneecap” Ukraine on the battlefield.
She added that the U.S. already has run out of money that it has used to prop up Ukraine’s economy, and “if Ukraine’s economy collapses, they will not be able to keep fighting, full stop.”
“We are out of money — and nearly out of time,” she wrote.
Biden has sought a nearly $106 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other needs, but it has faced a difficult reception on Capitol Hill, where there is growing skepticism about the magnitude of assistance for Ukraine and where even Republicans supportive of the funding are insisting on U.S.-Mexico border policy changes to halt the flow of migrants as a condition for the assistance.
Meanwhile, the GOP-controlled House has passed a standalone assistance package for Israel, which is fighting a war with Hamas in Gaza, while the White House has maintained that all of the priorities must be met.
Congress already has allocated $111 billion to assist Ukraine, including $67 billion in military procurement funding, $27 billion for economic and civil assistance and $10 billion for humanitarian aid. Young wrote that all of it, other than about 3% of the military funding, had been depleted by mid-November.
The Biden administration has said it has slowed the pace of some military assistance to Kyiv in recent weeks to try to stretch supplies until Congress approves more funding.
“We are out of money to support Ukraine in this fight,” Young wrote. “This isn’t a next year problem. The time to help a democratic Ukraine fight against Russian aggression is right now. It is time for Congress to act.”
The letter followed a classified Capitol Hill briefing on Nov. 29 for the top House and Senate leaders on the need for the assistance. Defense and other national security officials briefed the “big four” congressional leaders as Congress is debating President Joe Biden’s nearly $106 billion funding package, which includes $61 billion for Ukraine but has become snared by Republican demands for U.S.-Mexico border security changes.
“They were clear that Ukraine needs the aid soon — and so does our military need the aid soon,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told The Associated Press in an interview.
