US Presidential administration in quest of new aid package for Ukraine

The United States of America has almost used the funds intended to help Ukraine, which was allocated after the large-scale invasion of Russia last year. President Joe Biden’s administration does not yet have congressional approval to continue funding.

John Kirby, representative of the US National Security Council, said at a briefing in Washington on Wednesday  that 96% of the money allocated to Ukraine since the beginning of the war had already been spent. The amount exceeded 60 billion dollars and was intended not only for military, but also for humanitarian and financial-economic assistance. 90% of the money was spent for military purposes.

He noted the Department of Defense had about $1.1 billion left to replenish Ukraine’s military supplies for the winter, pointing to the need for the approval of the new package “as soon as possible”. 

President Biden asked Congress on October 20 to pass a $106 billion package, including more than $61 billion to continue military aid to Ukraine, which is at war with Russia, and more than $14 billion to Israel, which is conducting a military operation against Hamas.

The Republican-majority House of Representatives on November 2 approved a bill that would only provide aid to Israel. The bill, initiated by the Republicans, failed to gain support in the Senate, where Democrats from the party of Biden are in the majority.

According to the Pentagon, after Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine, from February 24, 2022 to November 3, 2023, the US had  provided $44.2 billion in military aid to Ukraine.

Speaking at the Senate Appropriations Committee meeting on October 31, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that suspending aid to Ukraine was unacceptable, as it would strengthen Russian President Putin and enable him to achieve his goals.