The US leader is reportedly looking for alternatives after his foreign aid bill stalled in Congress
Ukrainian troops operating a US-made M777 howitzer in the Donbass on June 23, 2023. © Genya Savilov / AFP
The US government is considering tapping into the US Army budget in order to provide Ukraine with much-needed additional military aid, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
One of the sources told the news agency that a final decision has not been made yet. The sum reportedly sought by the White House in the Pentagon reserves – around $200 million – is a small fraction of the $61 billion worth of Ukraine aid President Biden has been requesting from Congress.
The president will once again urge legislators to approve new assistance for Kiev during his State of the Union address on Thursday, Bloomberg said. The Senate backed the aid package last month, but it is now stalled in the House due to bitter political in-fighting.
House Republicans have so far refused to back Biden’s bill, hoping to pressure the president into enacting tougher measures to deal with the influx of illegal migrants crossing the border with Mexico.
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The hold-up in Congress is occurring at a crucial time for Ukraine, whose troops were forced to retreat from several key positions in the Donbass in recent weeks. President Vladimir Zelensky and other officials in Kiev have cited the shortages in ammunition and other equipment as reasons behind the losses on the battlefield.
