The US may deploy the remaining $4 billion for military aid to Kyiv – CNN

The Pentagon is considering the possibility of using the remaining $4 billion, which would allow it to provide military assistance to Ukraine directly from its arsenals.

This was reported by CNN citing sources.

According to their information, a final decision has not yet been made. Senior American officials are discussing the possibility of utilizing at least part of this amount.

On February 20th, during a briefing, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh stated that the Pentagon does not intend to take risks and allocate new packages of urgent military aid to Kiev from its arsenals until US lawmakers approve additional funding. According to its sources, a final decision has not yet been made. This concerns funds within the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) arms transfer program, i.e., the shipment of arms directly from Pentagon depots. The US Department of Defense has the authority to use this amount, but it previously stated that it would not risk its arsenals until US lawmakers approve additional funding legislation.

While the Pentagon previously categorically rejected such an option, now American military officials are increasingly discussing the possibility of using at least part of this amount even without congressional approval and are exploring “other potential Plan Bs.” If a new package of military assistance is indeed sent, it “will certainly include critically important ammunition,” according to a CNN source. The source added that discussions are also underway regarding where and how to position military equipment so that it can be sent to Ukraine as quickly as possible once the issue of additional funding sources is resolved.

The last tranche of American military aid to Ukraine was estimated at $250 million. It was allocated in December 2023 from funds approved by Congress in 2022.

Recall, the US administration previously sent a request to Capitol Hill for additional budget allocations in the 2024 fiscal year, which began in the US on October 1, primarily to provide assistance to Israel and Ukraine, as well as to counter China and Russia in the Asia-Pacific region. In total, the executive branch led by President Joe Biden would like to receive about $106 billion for these purposes.

The future of the request and alternative bills remains unclear. Several Republicans in both the House of Representatives and the Senate have expressed opposition in recent months to continuing financial support to Kiev. The Speaker of the House has consistently warned of the intention to link further aid to Ukraine with tightening controls on the southern border of the United States.

On February 13th, with the support of some Republicans, the Senate passed an alternative version of the bill, which allocates $95 billion in aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. However, this omnibus bill does not include provisions for tightening border control measures. On February 15th, the House of Representatives went on a two-week recess without voting on the mentioned bill.