The administration of US President Joe Biden is developing a special plan to be able to use the $5.9 billion allocated for Ukraine before the end of the fiscal year on 1 October. This is stated in a Politico article, reports Komersant ukrainskyi
This amount is part of a package adopted in April that allows the Pentagon to quickly transfer weapons and equipment from US arsenals to Ukraine, with their subsequent replacement. However, after 1 October, the possibility of providing new types of weapons will be limited.
This issue has become relevant as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends the UN General Assembly in New York and meets with Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Zelenskyy has been actively calling for accelerated arms deliveries and the lifting of restrictions on the use of US and British long-range missiles to strike Russian territory.
Congressional Republicans last year blocked a White House request for a $61 billion aid package for eight months, delaying arms deliveries. This has left some units of the Ukrainian army without artillery shells and other essential supplies on the frontline.
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The new plan, which requires a declaration from the administration on the use of the remaining funds, will allow the Pentagon to continue supplying weapons to Kyiv. At the same time, the approach prohibits the introduction of new types of weapons that were not previously included in aid packages.
If the administration manages to complete this plan in time, the deliveries will continue beyond the end of the fiscal year. Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Charlie Dietz said that even without any congressional action, this approach would ensure continuity of aid.
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers and Defence Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Ken Calvert confirmed the existence of a “workaround” to continue providing assistance to Ukraine. According to them, the Biden administration plans to use these funds, although it is not yet clear how this will be done.
House Speaker Mike Johnson did not include the extension of this aid in his three-month fiscal plan, as he relies on Democratic support to pass it. At the same time, Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gregory Meeks stressed the importance of continuing to provide assistance to Ukraine ahead of the difficult winter fighting. Meeks, who met with Zelenskyy at the General Assembly, stressed the need to speed up arms deliveries.
This week, the US is expected to announce a new $375 million aid package to Ukraine, which will include medium-range missiles for F-16 fighter jets, missiles for HIMARS systems, patrol boats, and air defence ammunition. This will be the largest military aid package since May and the last before the end of the fiscal year.