"Have no more money" - White House warns: Without agreement in Congress, Ukraine aid could be cut off by the end of the year
The White House has warned that US military aid to Ukraine could run out by the end of the year if there is still no agreement on this support in Congress in Washington. In a letter to the Republican chairman of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, published on Monday, the head of the White House budget office, Shalanda Young, wrote that without this support, Ukraine would be "paralyzed on the battlefield".
The dispute in the US Congress over new funding for Ukraine aid has been dragging on for months. Among the opposition Republicans, who are in the majority in the House of Representatives, there is partial resistance to new aid for the country fighting the Russian invasion.
Call to Congress to act: Ukrainian defeat looms
If the US parliament does not act, the government will no longer have any funds from the New Year to procure further weapons and equipment for Ukraine or to supply equipment from its own military stocks to Kiev. Shalanda Young, Director of the National Budget Office in the USA, wrote this in a letter to the leadership in both chambers of Congress. The White House published the letter on Monday. In it, Young urged Congress to act: "We are out of money - and almost out of time."
There is "no magic pot" from which funds can be tapped, Young warned. If the flow of weapons and equipment from the USA were to be interrupted, this would "bring Ukraine to its knees on the battlefield". This would not only jeopardize Kiev's successes, but also increase the likelihood of Russian victories. "If our aid is stopped, it will cause considerable problems for Ukraine." Even if the international partners had increased their support, they would not be able to compensate for the aid from the USA.
Young listed what had already been drawn down from the funds approved to date. The Pentagon had already used up 97 percent of the funds approved for Ukraine. The money earmarked for economic aid to the country has already been fully utilized. "If Ukraine's economy collapses, they will no longer be able to continue fighting," she warned.
The USA is Ukraine's most important military supporter and has already provided billions in aid. The loss of this aid would be fatal, especially as Europe is also failing to meet its self-imposed delivery obligations for ammunition to Ukraine, as German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius recently had to admit.
Ukraine expects new massive missile strikes on power grid
Meanwhile, after a long break, Kiev is expecting new massive Russian missile strikes against the Ukrainian energy supply. "If they haven't started these strikes yet, then they can start any day," said air force spokesman Yuri Ihnat in an interview published by the RBK-Ukraine news agency on Monday. The Russian arms industry has ramped up the production of missiles and combat drones.
According to Ihnat, Moscow currently has around 870 missiles of various types at its disposal. However, the Russian military no longer has the resources it had last year. In September of last year, there were still 1600 cruise missiles.
On Monday night, Ukraine was reportedly hit by 23 Russian combat drones and one missile. According to the Ukrainian air force, 18 of the drones launched by the Russians from the annexed Black Sea peninsula of Crimea were successfully repelled. The missile was also shot down. There was initially no information about possible casualties or damage. In total, the air defense was active in nine different regions of the country during the night.
Read also:
- Shalanda Young, the Director of the National Budget Office in the USA, urged the US Congress to act quickly, stating, "We are out of money - and almost out of time."
- Without an agreement in Congress, Ukraine's Partner, the USA, might not be able to provide further weapons and equipment to Kiev from the turn of the year.
- If the US Congress fails to act, the White House warns that Ukraine would be "paralyzed on the battlefield", as identified by Young in her letter to the Republican chairman of the House of Representatives.
- The omission of additional funding for Ukraine aid in Congress has been a point of contention for months, with opposition Republicans, who hold a majority in the House of Representatives, showing partial resistance.
- Young cautioned that if the US's military aid to Ukraine were to be interrupted, it would be detrimental to Kiev, potentially leading to "Russian victories" and "bringing Ukraine to its knees on the battlefield".
- In her letter, Young also highlighted that the Pentagon had already utilized 97 percent of the funds approved for Ukraine, and the money earmarked for economic aid had been fully utilized.
- The situation in Ukraine is critical, as Moscow continues its invasion, and Ukraine anticipates new massive missile strikes on its power grid, according to Yuri Ihnat, an air force spokesman for Kiev.
Source: www.stern.de
