U.S. Defense Burns Through Ukraine Aid Funding, Urges Congressional Support

The U.S. Department of Defense has announced that it has run out of funding for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which allowed for the purchase of new weapons for Ukraine.

The U.S. has committed approximately $43.9 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia's unprovoked invasion in February 2022. This funding has been provided through two channels: under the USAI, the U.S. enters contracts with defense contractors to procure new military hardware, which is then sent to Ukraine once it's ready. Additionally, a substantial amount of equipment has been sent to Ukraine through Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA). Under PDA, equipment already in the U.S. military inventory is withdrawn and sent overseas.

Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh, speaking during a briefing at the Pentagon, stated, "Right now, there is no more USAI funding available to contract for newly-manufactured military hardware. But there does remain authorization to pull as much as $5.4 billion worth of hardware from U.S. military inventory through PDA and send that to Ukraine."

The Department of Defense plans to replace the withdrawn equipment with new gear and currently has approximately $1.6 billion available for this purpose. Singh noted that the department is seeking additional funding to replenish stocks depleted due to PDA. She emphasized that the department has been cautious in withdrawing military hardware for Ukraine to avoid compromising its own readiness.

The Defense Department also has about $1.6 billion on hand to replenish its own stocks after sending those weapons and munitions.

Singh emphasized that supporting Ukraine and replenishing the department's stocks remain top priorities, requiring assistance from Congress. She stated, "We have enough funding authorities to meet Ukraine's battlefield needs for just a little bit longer, but we need Congress to act to ensure there is no disruption in our support, especially as the department seeks to replenish our stocks."

Singh pointed out that there has been bipartisan support for Ukraine in Congress and urged members of Congress to uphold their commitment to the people of Ukraine by securing the passage of necessary support.

Over the past weekend, Congress passed a continuing resolution, instead of a full fiscal year 2024 funding bill, to keep the federal government open until mid-November. However, this temporary funding measure does not include additional funds to assist Ukraine's war effort.

Singh confirmed that Pentagon officials are actively engaging with lawmakers on Capitol Hill to explore ways to secure more funding for Ukraine. She emphasized, "We've been very public here from the podium here saying that we're not going to drop below certain levels. But we do know that replenishing our stocks is a priority for this department, as we continue to send and flow aid to Ukraine."

To date, the Department of Defense has sent 47 security assistance packages to Ukraine, and Singh mentioned that the department will continue to exercise its authority to provide support to Ukraine through the PDA mechanism. She added, "We're still putting together packages…You're going see ... our regular cadence continue, which is usually weekly or every other week, give or take."