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Bloomberg: Biden considers tapping into US Army funds for temporary Ukraine aid

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Bloomberg: Biden considers tapping into US Army funds for temporary Ukraine aid
U.S. President Joe Biden gives a speech in the State Dining Room of the White House on Feb. 13, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The Biden administration is attempting to tap $200 million from US Army funding to provide immediate assistance to Ukraine while more significant aid remains held up in Congress, Bloomberg reported March 6.

The temporary funds could be used to assist the Ukrainian military with replenishing critical supplies and weapons that are rapidly running out.

Drawing on the Pentagon reserves would free up about $200 million in military aid to Ukraine. A source familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that a final decision has not been made as to the army funds.

U.S. aid to Ukraine has been delayed since autumn 2023, as various versions of a foreign aid bill have been derailed due to border security disagreements. Most recently, a $95 billion aid package to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan passed in the Senate with bipartisan support, but House Speaker Mike Johnson has refused to bring it to a vote in the House of Representatives.

Johnson is reportedly allowing Republicans who support Ukrainian aid to work on an alternative bill, which is expected to be complete by late March or early April.

Equipment and weapons shortages have led to recent Russian territorial advances, including the capturing of Avdiivka — a key city near occupied Donetsk — where heavy fighting took place for many months.

The EU Council recently approved a funding package of 50 billion euros ($54 billion) in loans and grants for Ukraine.

Ukrainian soldiers near Kupiansk prepare for potential Russian offensive
Editor’s note: The Kyiv Independent is not disclosing the full names of soldiers due to what they cited as security concerns and their unit’s protocol amid the war in Ukraine. KHARKIV OBLAST — As Russia rolls past now-occupied Avdiivka further west, other parts of the front have seen quieter days.…
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Sonya Bandouil

North American news editor

Sonya Bandouil is a North American news editor for The Kyiv Independent. She previously worked in the fields of cybersecurity and translating, and she also edited for various journals in NYC. Sonya has a Master’s degree in Global Affairs from New York University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of Houston, in Texas.

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