Additional Funds Still Detained By Congress, US New Weapons Assistance Is Only Enough For A Few Weeks

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan (Wikimedia Commons/The White House)

JAKARTA - The United States will send a new military aid package to Ukraine worth US$300 million, President Joe Biden's administration said on Tuesday, the first step in months when additional funding for Kyiv is still blocked by Republican leaders in Congress.

The White House is trying to find ways to send more military aid, given the situation on the battlefield and the rejection of funding by the Republican hardline group.

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the funds came from savings in unexpected costs from the Pentagon contract. It will be used for ammunition and ammunition for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).

"This ammunition will keep Ukrainian weapons on for a certain period of time, but in just a short time," Sullivan told reporters, adding this ammunition might only be useful for Ukraine for a few weeks.

"This is not enough to meet Ukraine's battlefield needs and will not prevent Ukraine from running out of ammunition," Sullivan continued.

The announcement came as the President and Prime Minister of Poland met with President Joe Biden at the White House on Tuesday evening to discuss ways to increase support for Ukraine.

Using the funds that have been returned to replenish the stock, opens up a narrow opportunity to allow more aid to be sent from the existing stock, as President Biden's Administration awaits additional funding passed by lawmakers.

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has so far refused to hold a vote on a bill that would provide an additional 60 billion US dollars to Ukraine.

The decision has been passed by the Democratic Party-controlled Senate. Both Republicans and Democrats in the House of Representatives said the law would be passed if Republican leaders allowed the vote.

Meanwhile, Pentagon Press Secretary Major General Pat Ryder said the package included anti-aircraft missiles and artillery shells.

He said the provision of weapons to Ukraine through the Pentagon's contract savings may only occur once, not a sustainable way to fund Kyiv.

The last withdrawal occurred in December 2023 when funds to replenish stocks fell to zero.

In addition, US officials have also considered options to confiscate approximately USD 285 billion of frozen Russian assets by 2022, using the money to pay for Ukrainian weapons.