Long-awaited help
300 million for Ukraine: USA announces emergency military package
US President Joe Biden speaks at the White House
© Evan Vucci / AP / DPA
A domestic political dispute between Democrats and Republicans recently prevented military aid for Ukraine. Now the US government is scraping together funds for a new package. But that is not the best solution.
After a months-long pause, the government of US President Joe Biden has released an emergency aid package with military equipment for the Ukraine announced. Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said on Tuesday at the White House in Washington that the planned package was worth 300 million US dollars (275 million euros) and included, among other things, a large number of artillery shells.
It comes from funds that the US Department of Defense saved through negotiations on previous arms purchases. This means a “modest amount” is available. But Sullivan emphasized that the new ammunition could only help Kiev for a short time. “It is far from sufficient to meet Ukraine’s battlefield needs and will not prevent Ukraine from running out of ammunition in the coming weeks,” he said, urging: “Congress must act.”
Republicans block aid to Ukraine
The USA is considered Ukraine’s most important ally in the fight against the Russian invasion. Since the war began in February 2022, Biden’s government has provided more than $44 billion (around 40 billion euros) in military aid to Kiev. The US Department of Defense recently announced a military aid package for Ukraine at the end of December. Since then, Kiev has been waiting for new financial commitments and additional weapons and ammunition from the USA.
According to a report in the Financial Times, the EU is about to agree on a further five billion euros in military aid.
There is no long-term solution in sight. Republicans in the US House of Representatives continue to block billions in aid for Ukraine that Biden had already requested from Parliament in October. The US Senate has now passed an aid package for Kiev worth around $60 billion (around €55 billion), but approval from the other chamber of parliament is still pending.
The President of the House of Representatives and ally of former President Donald Trump, Mike Johnson, is not allowing a vote in the Chamber of Congress on a $60 billion aid package. He calls for measures to protect the border with Mexico. The Senate has already approved the bill. Republicans and Democrats also agree that they will have a majority in the House of Representatives if Johnson calls for a vote.