Pentagon calls on Congress to pass aid package to Ukraine and Israel as soon as possible

The US Department of Defence has called on Congress to pass President Joe Biden's request for additional funding, including aid to Ukraine and Israel, as soon as possible.

Source: Ukrinform news agency, citing Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh at a briefing.

Quote: "We also urge Congress to pass our supplemental funding requests that would allow us to keep supporting Ukraine and Israel providing life-saving humanitarian assistance across the globe and makes critical investments in the Indo-Pacific."

Details: Singh indicated that the additional funding would also be an investment in the US military industry. In addition, it will allow replenishment of the Pentagon's weapons stocks, which were allocated earlier in the form of foreign aid.

The request for an additional budget will ensure America's national security needs, the Pentagon spokeswoman emphasised.

She specified that the US Department of Defence currently has only US$4.9 billion in PDA packages (the allocations based on presidential authority – ed.). In addition, about US$1.1 was left to replenish the Pentagon's own reserves.

Singh said much more will be needed to support Ukraine, so the US administration has submitted a request to Congress.

"We know that Ukraine continues to face and continues to endeavor and it's counter-offensive and they need continued support on a regular basis. So we know that we have to do that, we know that we have to continue to meet their needs," a Pentagon representative said.

This issue, she explained, will definitely be discussed at the next meeting of the Contact Group for the Defence of Ukraine. The Pentagon will officially announce the date and plans for the Ramstein format meeting in the coming days, Singh added.

Background:

• US President Joe Biden is trying to convince the US Congress to support aid to both Ukraine and Israel and to approve a new US$106 billion aid package, which includes more than US$61 billion in funding for aid to Ukraine.
• But Mike Johnson, the new speaker of the US House of Representatives, insists that the aid packages for Ukraine and Israel be considered by Congress separately, and the "Ukrainian" package be considered together with appropriations for border security with Mexico. 
• The White House and the Senate criticised and rejected Johnson's project to extend funding with different terms for different government entities temporarily.
• On 14 November, Jake Sullivan, US Presidential National Security Advisor, said that the US's abilities to give Ukraine "everything it needs" are shrinking every week without the approval of a new large aid package for Ukraine in Congress.
• On 14 November, the US House of Representatives approved a two-stage temporary government funding bill without allocating money for aid to Ukraine and Israel.

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