The Pentagon has once again decided to send support for Ukraine, announcing a huge allocation of “$300 million in weapons” to aid the country’s fight against Russia.
This assistance package marks the Pentagon’s first substantial aid delivery since December, when it faced a shortage of replenishment funds, requiring a staggering $10 billion to replenish all the weapons drawn from its reserves to aid Kyiv.
Winning here, in Ukraine, in this confrontation with Russian terror, is a matter of survival for democratic systems, if democracies are worth anything at all.
When we defend ourselves, we can ensure that no other international criminal is tempted to launch an aggression like… pic.twitter.com/HZXPZ0C3Mr
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 13, 2024
Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder shed light on the origins of this aid, revealing that strategic negotiations by the Department of Defense resulted in cost savings, enabling the allocation of “a modest amount of new security assistance” without jeopardizing military readiness. Ryder emphasized the urgency of Ukraine’s situation, highlighting its “existential fight” against Russian aggression.
“Because of those negotiations, we budgeted the full amount of appropriated funds for those contracts. But because of those negotiations, those contracts came in under budget. And so we have a modest amount of funding available,” Ryder said, according to Fox News. “We’re able to use these cost savings to make up this modest amount of new security assistance available right now without significantly impacting military readiness because of the situation in Ukraine,” Ryder added. “Obviously, they are in an existential fight. They have an urgent need for help. So, this is a way we can provide a small amount of assistance urgently right now.”
I spoke with Minister @rustem_umerov today to get an update of developments on the ground in Ukraine. It is critical that Congress urgently pass President Biden’s bipartisan National Security Supplemental to support 🇺🇦's fight against Russian aggression.https://t.co/ybZyj948t4
— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) March 11, 2024
The allocated weapons funding falls far short of Ukraine demands, however.
While efforts to provide support have faced obstacles in the House, with Republican opposition stalling initiatives, the United States has committed over $44.9 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since President Biden took office.
Polish leaders have also weighed in, urging the U.S. to address the replenishment funds issue promptly.
