Joe Biden's administration announced another military aid package for Ukraine worth up to $300 million on Tuesday, after months of warning that there was no more money, with officials saying the new funding became available as result of savings made on arms contracts.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan announced the package at a White House briefing Tuesday afternoon.
“When Russian troops advance and their cannons fire, Ukraine does not have enough ammunition to counterattack. This is costing ground. It's costing lives. And it’s costing the United States and the NATO alliance, strategically,” Sullivan said.
Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Tuesday that the package would include “Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, additional ammunition for HIMARS, 155-millimeter artillery rounds, including high-explosive rounds, and enhanced double-decker cluster ammunition. purpose, 105 millimeter artillery rounds, AT4 anti-armor system rounds, additional rounds of small arms ammunition, demolitions, obstacle removal ammunition, spare parts, maintenance and other auxiliary equipment.”
Explaining how the Department of Defense now has money available for aid to Ukraine, a senior defense official said: “We have received savings that will allow us to offset the cost of a new reduction package.”
The Pentagon still has approximately $4 billion in drawing authority to send to Ukraine – weapons and equipment taken directly from Department of Defense stockpiles. But the Pentagon was reluctant to use that funding because there was no more replacement money to replenish U.S. inventories.
The new savings — the result of “good negotiations” and “bundling of funding across different things,” according to a second senior defense official — provided the Pentagon with an additional $300 million to use as replacement funding to replace aid. sent to Kiev.
Sullivan said the new package was made possible “due to unanticipated cost savings in contracts the Department of Defense negotiated to replace equipment we have already sent to Ukraine through previous withdrawals.”
The second employee gave an example of being able to purchase 25mm ammunition at a cheaper cost than initially expected after contract negotiations with the supplier.
But the official made clear that this is not a sustainable long-term solution to providing much-needed weaponry to Ukraine, as Republican leaders in the House continue to refuse to bring a bill that would provide additional military aid to a vote.
Source: CNN Brasil
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