US Will Run Out of Ukraine Aid by December 30, White House Warns

The Biden administration said Monday that it plans to release one final package of military aid for Ukraine before the end of the year and warned that it could be the last until Congress provides more funding.

President Joe Biden has requested roughly $61 billion in new military assistance for Ukraine as it continues its war with Russia, but as we noted above, that aid package has become entwined with a contentious partisan dispute over immigration policy, leaving the administration with only the dwindling amount of aid Congress had previously approved.

Michael McCord, the comptroller of the Department of Defense, informed congressional leaders last week that it plans to transfer $1.07 billion to its accounts to replenish items sent to Ukraine from Pentagon stocks, as well as to reimburse the U.S. for defense services provided. The transfer is scheduled to occur by December 30.

"Once these funds are obligated, the department will have exhausted the funding available to us for security assistance to Ukraine," McCord wrote.

White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters Monday about the exhaustion of the replenishment funds and called on lawmakers to pass the aid package. "Ukraine still needs our help, and it’s well past time for Congress to act and stand up for freedom and democracy and our own national security interests, which are very much at play," he said.

The Pentagon still has $4.4 billion in presidential drawdown authority for Ukraine, which enables it to send weapons and materials directly from U.S. stocks, Politico reports. But the drawdowns are reportedly limited by the amount of replenishment authority available, which will be exhausted by the end of the month.