The USA is Ukraine’s main donor in the war with Russia. But now the alliance is starting to crack. There is a banal reason for this.
Update from December 5th, 11:45 a.m.: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky plans to personally address the US Senate to lobby for further US financial aid for the Ukraine war. The US financial resources for Ukraine are almost exhausted and new money must be approved by Congress (see first report). Zelensky will be connected via video to a non-public session of the US Senate on Tuesday (December 5) to emphasize the urgency of the situation, Washington said. Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer emphasized the importance of this “important briefing” and urged his colleagues to move forward with the release of new funds. Without additional financial support, Ukraine faces a shortage of weapons and equipment.
Ukraine urgently needs financial help from the USA
The USA is Ukraine’s main military supporter and has already provided billions of dollars. However, the funds approved by Congress will be completely used up by the end of the year. The US Department of Defense has already used 97 percent of its approved funds for Ukraine. If Congress does not act, by the end of the year the Ukrainian government will run out of funds to procure weapons and equipment or to receive military equipment from the United States. This could not only jeopardize Ukraine’s successes, but also increase the likelihood of Russian victories. Vladimir Putin will simply “move on,” said Schumer, according to consistent reports from news agencies.
However, the release of new US aid to Ukraine continues to be blocked by a domestic political dispute between Democrats and Republicans in the US Parliament. Despite President Joe Biden’s request for a billion-dollar package for Ukraine, many Republicans have expressed doubts about or even rejected support for the country. An interim budget once again contains no new funds for Ukraine. Ukraine is therefore facing a critical situation as time and money are running out.
“Run out of money”: US is running out of money to support Ukraine in the war
First report from December 5th, 8:00 a.m.: Kiev/Washington, DC – Ukraine is apparently just weeks away from receiving further US financial support. The background to this is a legislative dispute over whether funding in the Ukraine war should be continued.
A US government representative warned in a letter on Monday (December 4) that the funds would be frozen. Washington has been one of Ukraine’s biggest supporters since Russia’s “military operation” began in February 2022. It has provided more than $75 billion in aid, including military and humanitarian support, the news agency said AP in the letter. Western aid has made a significant contribution to ensuring that Ukraine has not long since been defeated by Russia.
Warning about the end of US support in the Ukraine war
President Joe Biden recently asked Congress to approve about $106 billion in additional aid for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and the U.S.-Mexico border.
Financial support for Ukraine has become largely a bipartisan issue in the United States. All Democrats and a large proportion of Republicans are in favor of aid to Ukraine. Proponents argue that the aid limits Putin’s military capabilities and is therefore in the interest of US security. Some conservatives, however, believe the billions of dollars provided to Ukraine should instead be spent domestically or to strengthen the U.S.-Mexico border. The result of this dispute is disunity in the Republican Party.
A letter has now reached Speaker of the US House of Representatives Mike Johnson, House Majority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. In it, U.S. Office of Budget and Financial Management Director Shalanda Young warned that aid to the war-torn country would expire in a month. She emphasized that without further help from Congress, Russia is more likely to achieve victories. Young also highlighted the reasons why the Biden administration sees it as critical to provide further support to Ukraine. She emphasized that the aid helps promote U.S. national security, prevent major conflicts in the region and deter future aggression.
Money for Ukraine: Fighting for support in the US Congress
Young warned that financial resources for the war-torn country will soon dry up. It will soon become impossible to procure further weapons and equipment for Ukraine and to provide US military stocks. If Congress does not approve more aid to Ukraine in the coming weeks, the likelihood of Russian victories would increase, Young warned. This will only play into the hands of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
When Russia’s invasion began, some military analysts expected a quick victory for Moscow over Ukraine, which was perceived at the time as militarily weaker and smaller. However, Ukraine’s larger-than-expected defense effort has meant that Putin’s forces have been unable to make significant progress in the fight for control of eastern Ukraine[^4]. Western support has given the Ukrainian army advantages over Russia. This is confirmed by several analyzes by the US think tank “Institute for the Study of War” (ISW).
Time is of the essence in the Ukraine war
Time is of the essence as Ukraine has already stopped making payments to its economy. If Ukraine’s economic system collapses, it will probably no longer be able to continue fighting in the current war with Russia, the US government said.
It is now up to policymakers in Congress to provide the necessary resources to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia – and ensure stability in the region. (do with dpa/AFP)
Editor Tobias Utz wrote this article and then used an AI language model for optimization at his own discretion. All information has been carefully checked.