The White House has issued a warning that the US is set to run out of funds to aid Ukraine by the end of the year, saying that a failure by Congress to approve new support would “kneecap” Kyiv, Financial Times reports.
The warning issued by Shalanda Young, the White House budget director, in a letter addressed to congressional leaders on 4 December, marked the most precise evaluation to date of the diminishing financial and military backing for Ukraine from Washington.
“Without congressional action, by the end of the year we will run out of resources to procure more weapons and equipment for Ukraine and to provide equipment from US military stocks,” Young wrote to political leaders of both parties, according to FT, adding, “There is no magical pot of funding available to meet this moment. We are out of money — and nearly out of time.”
President Joe Biden’s $106 billion emergency funding request for key foreign policy priorities, such as Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific, faces Capitol Hill deadlock due to growing Republican resistance to aiding Kyiv.
Some Senators aim to negotiate a bipartisan agreement including support for Ukraine and reforms addressing undocumented immigration via the US southern border. Even if a Senate agreement materializes, its passage in the Republican-led House remains uncertain, as the new speaker, Mike Johnson, has expressed skepticism regarding Ukraine funding.
“Cutting off the flow of US weapons and equipment will kneecap Ukraine on the battlefield, not only putting at risk the gains Ukraine has made, but increasing the likelihood of Russian military victories,” Young wrote.
Young highlighted that funding Ukraine would also yield economic benefits for the US. Since Russia’s full invasion in February 2022, the US has allocated $111 billion in aid to Kyiv. She explained that the funding would support advanced defense capabilities, including air defense systems from Alabama, Texas, and Georgia, along with essential components sourced from across all 50 US states.
The White House’s alert coincides with challenges within EU member states trying to finalize a budget agreement in Brussels, which would allocate €50 billion to Ukraine, according to insiders familiar with the negotiations, as reported by the Financial Times.
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