Ending American navy help would “kneecap” Kiev, a high price range official warned
The White Home has made an pressing attraction to lawmakers to approve extra support for Ukraine, saying the nation is “practically out of time” as US businesses spend the final remaining funds from earlier safety packages.
In a letter addressed to congressional leaders on Monday, the pinnacle of the White Home’s Workplace of Administration and Funds (OMB), Shalanda Younger, claimed that previous US support had resulted in “important navy victories” for Ukraine and went on to induce for extra.
“I need to be clear: with out congressional motion, by the tip of the 12 months we are going to run out of sources to acquire extra weapons and gear for Ukraine and to supply gear from US navy shares,” she stated. “There isn’t any magical pot of funding out there to fulfill this second. We’re out of cash – and practically out of time.”
Reducing off the stream of US weapons and gear will kneecap Ukraine on the battlefield, not solely placing in danger the good points Ukraine has made, however rising the chance of Russian navy victories.
Younger went on to notice that, as of mid-November, the Pentagon had spent 97% of the $62.3 billion it obtained for Ukraine this 12 months, whereas the State Division and US Company for Worldwide Improvement (USAID) had used up all the funds allotted.
The official additionally warned that Ukraine’s economic system might implode with out continued US help, saying Kiev “won’t be able to maintain combating, full cease,” within the occasion of a extreme downturn.
Although Washington has devoted greater than $110 billion in varied varieties of support to Ukraine for the reason that battle with Russia escalated in February 2022, US lawmakers are at the moment wrangling over one other spherical of help.
President Joe Biden has requested a large spending package deal value $106 billion to fund a number of priorities of his administration, together with navy support to Ukraine and Israel. Nevertheless, the White Home faces opposition from a rising variety of Republicans who’ve grow to be more and more skeptical about US support to Kiev, with GOP members within the Home favoring standalone support to Israel alone.
Whereas Senate Republican chief Mitch McConnell famous his social gathering is “nonetheless on the desk” with opponents over future Ukraine spending, Home Speaker Mike Johnson has stated that Republicans within the decrease chamber would solely approve extra support to Kiev if Democrats agreed to numerous adjustments to US immigration coverage. Johnson additionally cited “reputable issues in regards to the lack of a transparent technique in Ukraine,” stressing the necessity to guarantee “accountability for support supplied by American taxpayers.”
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