White House warns: Ukraine aid set to expire by month's end
White House warns that Ukraine aid will cease unless Congress approves further assistance, putting the country's future support in jeopardy
Aid to Ukraine is set to stop unless Congress approves more, the White House has cautioned. Despite previous aid being crucial in resisting Russia's invasion, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby emphasized that Ukraine still requires assistance.
The comptroller of the Department of Defense, Mike McCord, pointed to a letter to Congress warning that all remaining funding earmarked for Ukraine had been fully allocated under the department's replenishment authority. "We are still planning one more aid package to Ukraine later this month. However, when that one’s done, as Mr. McCord made clear in his note to Congress today, we will have no more replenishment authority available to us, and we’re going to need Congress to act without delay, as we have been saying," Kirby said.
CNN obtained a copy of a letter in which McCord stated that the department would be transferring $1,071.117 million to its accounts to replenish stockpiles and reimburse for defense services provided to Ukraine. However, once these funds are obligated, the department will have exhausted its funding for security assistance to Ukraine. McCord stressed the importance of Congress acting promptly on the Administration's pending supplemental request, stating that it is in the national interest and vital to Ukraine's fight for freedom and to thwart Russian aggression.
A package introduced in October to provide additional funding for Ukraine, defense funding for Israel and Taiwan, has been stalled in Congress as Republicans seek concessions from the Biden administration on immigration policy and border security. Biden is open to compromise, but a deal is unlikely before the end of the year, despite Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky's efforts to plead his case directly to lawmakers during a meeting with congressional leaders last week.
Senior White House officials, led by chief of staff Jeff Zients, reached out to both Republican and Democratic lawmakers over the weekend in an effort to find common ground on border policy changes. Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas met with Senate negotiators on Capitol Hill on Sunday. However, negotiations for an immigration deal face challenges, with 15 GOP senators, including Lindsey Graham, indicating that discussions may extend into next year and demanding a special conference meeting in January.
The senators sent a letter to Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming on Sunday, criticizing the hurried and clandestine discussions. Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma, the lead Republican in the border talks, believes that holding a meeting to discuss the legislation when the House reconvenes the week of January 8 is an achievable timeframe.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is determined to push for a vote on the legislation this week, despite the fact that senators are still without the legislative text.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Congress has approved $113 billion in security, economic, and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, with $46.6 billion designated for direct military aid. The US remains the leading provider of aid to Ukraine in comparison to other countries.
