🇺🇸 The Pentagon is weighing whether to use its last source of military aid funding to support Ukraine's military efforts against Russia, even without guarantees that those funds will be replenished by Congress, multiple defense officials told CNN.
ℹ️ The US Department of Defense still has about $4 billion in military aid to Ukraine.
ℹ️ Previously, the Pentagon ruled out the possibility of using this money without guarantees of further funding by Congress. Appealing that the impossibility of replenishing its own reserves could affect the military readiness of the United States.
ℹ️ But with Ukraine increasingly in need of U.S. military aid and the House speaker refusing to hold a vote on it, senior Defense Department officials are debating whether there is any domestic financial cushion that would allow the department to spend at least some of the remaining $4 billion .
No decisions have been made yet, the officials emphasized. But talk of that option and other potential Plan Bs have become increasingly urgent over the past few weeks.
ℹ️ Officials said the ministry may spend some of that $4 billion even if it can't find the money domestically to use to restock. But it will not be unprecedented for the Pentagon to find additional, unexpected sources of funding .
We will continue to look for ways to support Ukraine in its struggle for freedom and preservation of sovereignty.
Yes, even though we have that $4.2 billion, we don't have the funds to replenish those reserves if we spend them. But without a clear time frame, we have to make these tough decisions
ℹ️ A separate representative of the defense department said that the next package of aid to Ukraine, if it arrives, will definitely include critical ammunition. Discussions are also underway on how and where to deploy military equipment so that it can be sent to Ukraine as soon as possible after additional sources of funding are found, the official said
ℹ️ The latest package of security assistance to Ukraine in the amount of up to 250 million dollars was announced on December 27. Some weapons and equipment from previous packages and the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) are still arriving in Ukraine.
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