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U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration is working on a plan to extend the authority to send $5.9 billion worth of American weapons and equipment to Ukraine before funding expires at the end of the month.
This was reported by Politico.
These authorities, which are part of the Ukraine aid package adopted in April, allow the Pentagon to use its own stockpiles to quickly transfer weapons and equipment to Ukraine. The funds are then used to replenish these stocks in U.S. arsenals.
However, these authorities expire at the start of the new fiscal year on October 1.
A new workaround, which requires the administration to declare that it will use the remaining funds in the coming months, will allow the Pentagon to continue supplying weapons to Kyiv. However, under this method, the U.S. will not be able to provide new types of equipment that were not part of previous deliveries.
According to Pentagon spokesperson Lt. Col. Charlie Dietz, if this is done in time, “supplies can easily extend beyond the fiscal year.”
This issue resurfaced on Sunday when House Speaker Mike Johnson revealed details of his proposed three-month funding package, which did not include an extension of Ukraine-related authorities.
The Biden administration has asked Congress to carry over $5.9 billion in unused presidential authority for weapons transfers into the next year. This authority is the primary tool Washington uses to arm Ukraine.
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers called the unused authority “not a real problem” if the administration decides to allocate the funds within the next week.
“As far as I understand… as long as the White House tells us they’re going to use these funds, we don’t have a problem,” Rogers said.
Similarly, House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Ken Calvert said in an interview: “I understand there’s already a workaround,” which the Biden administration plans to use. “I’m not exactly sure how they’re going to do it, but I’ve been told they will.”
House Foreign Affairs Committee member Gregory Meeks emphasized in a brief interview on Tuesday the importance of providing Ukraine with assistance ahead of tough winter battles.
“They’re going to try to work around it, the administration will try, because (Ukrainians) need resources right now so they can execute their ‘victory plan,’ which I believe is crucial,” Meeks said.
According to Meeks, Zelensky, whom he met on Monday at the United Nations General Assembly, will likely raise this issue during his meetings with President Joe Biden and his visit to Capitol Hill on Thursday.
For the Ukrainian leader, the speed of U.S. deliveries will also be an important issue. The Biden administration has been providing about $400 million a month in military aid, but officials in Kyiv have been frustrated with how long it takes for some of the equipment to reach the battlefield.
The U.S. is expected to announce a new $375 million aid package to Ukraine this week, which could include medium-range missiles for Ukraine’s new fleet of F-16 fighter jets.
The package also includes missiles for HIMARS launchers, patrol boats, and air defense systems, and it will be the largest package the U.S. has sent to Ukraine since May. It will likely be the last use of the presidential authority for weapons transfers before the fiscal year ends on September 30.
