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What will the new military aid to Ukraine contain?

2024-03-13 21:28:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The United States will provide Ukraine with new military aid worth $300 million. This is the first US aid that has been announced since December. According to defense officials, the new grants, which they call "ad hoc," were made possible by cost reductions in US military procurement contracts.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan announced Tuesday that this is the 55th time the White House is exercising presidential authority to draw from the United States' weapons stockpile. He said the new shipments will also include artillery shells and ammunition for the HIMARS systems, a modern mobile missile system that is badly needed on the Ukrainian front.

"These supplies will ensure the functioning of Ukrainian weapons, but only for a short period," said Mr. Sullivan.

The press secretary of the Pentagon, Major General Pat Ryder, added that among the shipments there will be Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, as well as anti-armor systems. He said the artillery shells will include 155mm dual-use cluster munitions, which officials told VOA are no longer used by the US military.

What will the new military aid to Ukraine contain?

Pat Ryder

Funding for the new aid was provided by cost reductions in "multiple contracts over a period of several months," when the U.S. military was able to "acquire materials at a better price" than originally planned in the budget, officials said. senior defense officials who spoke to journalists on the condition of anonymity.

"It is a kind of effort that cannot be repeated. We don't know when further savings can be achieved and this is certainly not the way to go about it," said a senior defense official.

According to one example given by officials, the military initially estimated the cost of a 22 mm shell at $123, but managed to negotiate down the price to $93.

The saved funds were subsequently placed in the basket designated for aid to Ukraine, a process that has occurred several times but was not publicized because at the time the budget for Ukraine was considered operational, defense officials said.

Shortages of $10 billion

The new aid was announced even though the Pentagon has said it is about $10 billion short of weapons to replace American stockpiles that were sent to Ukraine.

"We don't foresee any kind of alternative other than an approved budget package," Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks told reporters Monday.

Pentagon officials expected this funding to be provided as part of the additional budget requested by President Biden's administration, which included billions of dollars in additional aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. Congress has not yet approved such an addition, due to disagreements over government spending and the security of the United States' borders.

Because it has been about 15 months since Congress last approved funds to help Ukraine, defense officials say Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has expressed concern about future shipments.

155 mm caliber shells being shipped to Ukraine

The Defense Department is authorized by Congress to send another $4 billion in weapons to Ukraine, but Congress has not approved the funds to replenish the US weapons stockpile.

"We can move funds, but in not being able to replenish them, we're putting ourselves at some kind of risk," said a senior defense official.

VOA questioned why the Pentagon is willing to cut costs to send more aid to Ukraine, but is unwilling to withdraw the remaining $4 billion under the presidential authorization. One of the senior defense officials responded that the "lack of clarity" from Congress, whether or not they will approve further aid, has forced the Pentagon to be "extremely reluctant to draw more" from the national reserves./ VOA