After a months-long pause, the administration of US President Joe Biden has announced an emergency aid package with military equipment for Ukraine. The support would have to come directly from the Ministry of Defense – and would therefore have to be routed past the blocking parliamentary chamber.
Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Tuesday that the planned package was worth $300 million (about 275 million euros) and included a large number of artillery shells.
A “modest contribution”
It comes from funds that the US Department of Defense has saved through negotiations on previous weapons purchases. This means that a “modest amount” is available. But Sullivan emphasized that the new ammunition could only help Kiev for a short time. “It is far from sufficient to meet Ukraine’s battlefield needs and will not prevent Ukraine from running out of ammunition in the coming weeks,” he said, urging: “Congress must act.”
The US is considered Ukraine’s most important ally in the fight against the Russian invasion. Since the start of the war in February 2022, the Biden administration has provided more than $44 billion (about €40 billion) in military aid to Kiev. The U.S. Department of Defense recently announced a military aid package for Ukraine in late December. Since then, Kiev has been waiting for new financial commitments and additional weapons and ammunition from the US.
No political agreement in sight
The backdrop is a domestic political blockade in the US Congress, where Republicans have so far refused further aid to Kiev. The funds previously approved by Congress have been exhausted.
There is no long-term solution in sight. Republicans in the US House of Representatives continue to block billions in aid to Ukraine, which Biden had already requested from parliament in October. The US Senate has now passed an aid package for Kiev worth around 60 billion dollars (about 55 billion euros), but approval from the other chamber of parliament is still pending and there is currently no movement in this direction in the House of Representatives.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
