The White House warned on Monday that the United States would run out of money to send weapons to Ukraine by the end of the year if Congress does not approve additional emergency support for the war that has been snarled by funding debates,
The New York Times reports.
The warning, delivered in a blunt letter to the House speaker, Mike Johnson, was the latest Biden administration salvo against a growing number of Republicans who are weary of shouldering the costs and political capital of a war that could grind on for years.
So far, Congress has authorized $111 billion for Ukraine and critical U.S. national security needs, according to Shalanda D. Young, the White House’s budget director. In October, the administration asked for an additional $61.4 billion to continue helping the government in Kyiv stave off Russia.
But she said about 60 percent of the money approved so far — $67 billion — remained in the United States, largely to bolster American weapons manufacturers that have ramped up production over the last year to meet Ukraine’s insatiable demand.
Without more money to buy and supply additional weapons, Ms. Young said, the loss in American assistance “will kneecap Ukraine on the battlefield, not only putting at risk the gains Ukraine has made, but increasing the likelihood of Russian military victories.”
