Biden administration won't be able to send Ukraine all planned aid – WSJ

The Biden administration does not have enough time to provide Ukraine with all the military aid authorised by Congress before Biden’s presidency ends in January 2025, and some of the authority in this regard will be transferred to Donald Trump's team.

Source: The Wall Street Journal, citing sources in the White House and the US Congress, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The Biden administration has over US$6.5 billion to transfer equipment from US Army stocks and warehouses to Ukraine, and had hoped to use the entire amount before Biden’s term ends on 20 January 2025.

However, according to the Wall Street Journal, the Pentagon says they have reached the amount of weaponry that can be sent to Ukraine each month without sacrificing their own fighting capability, and that there are logistical issues with getting munitions to Ukrainian forces.

It is estimated that the United States would need to supply Ukraine with about US$110 million worth of weaponry per day – nearly US$3 billion in December and January – to use up all the funds. "It’s impossible," a WSJ source in Congress said.

According to a Pentagon source, the US now intends to send US$500-750 million worth from its arsenal of weapons to Ukraine per month. Since larger equipment can take months to deliver, these supplies will primarily consist of artillery and ammunition, which are easier to transport.

Any unused cash will be available to Donald Trump's future administration. What he will do about the shipment of weapons to Ukraine remains unknown.

In addition to funding supplies from US Army stockpiles, the Biden administration has more than US$2 billion to fund long-term weapons contracts for Kyiv. They want to "get as much of that money as possible on contract" by 20 January, WSJ’s source in the Pentagon said.

Additionally, Congress has allocated the White House just under US$5 billion to purchase more weapons to replenish American stockpiles. The Biden administration intends this money to be spent in full by the conclusion of Biden’s presidential term, the WSJ says.

Background: 

• Earlier, it was reported that US President Joe Biden had asked Congress for an additional US$24 billion to provide military assistance to Ukraine and replace US weapons sent to Kyiv. 
• According to The Wall Street Journal, however, the future Congress, where Republicans will be in the majority, is lukewarm about this idea.

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