“We are out of money”: US announces exhaustion of funds for Ukraine

Europe, News, US January 8, 2024 , by IRIA No Comments

Pentagon Spokesperson Major General Pat Ryder announced that the U.S. government is “out of money” to provide military assistance to Ukraine. He said that the U.S. would not be able to support Ukraine unless lawmakers approve a new aid package.

While speaking at a press briefing on January 5, 2023, Ryder announced that the U.S. Department of Defense has announced another $4.2 billion weapons aid package for Ukraine, however, the actual funds are not available to replenish the aid package.

“We have the authority to spend that [$4.2 billion] from available funds but wouldn’t have the ability to replenish the stocks by taking money out, or taking stuff out of our inventory,” the spokesman said. “We’re out of money,” he added.

Government officials had issued a warning on depleting funds months ago as the White House sent the request to the U.S. Congress seeking approval for the aid package.

U.S. President Joe Biden drafted an unprecedented $100 billion foreign aid package back in October 2023, to provide military assistance for Ukraine and Israel, however, a group of senators blocked the request to negotiate a border security deal.

The United States has provided more than $45 billion in direct aid to Ukraine since the Russian invasion started in 2022. The U.S. military and humanitarian aid play a key role in funding Kyiv’s military operations against Russia.

*^{Ukrainian soldiers firing toward Russian troops during a counteroffensive operation. (Image Credit: Twitter/@ZelenskyyUa)}*

Following the Pentagon’s remarks about depleting funds, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said that his country had no “plan B” without American military aid, reiterating the urgent demands for new combat drones, long-range missiles, and air defense capabilities, among other gear.

Separately last month, the European Union failed to approve funding for Ukraine after Hungary blocked a $55 billion aid package for Kyiv. Speaking at a press conference this week, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU is considering alternative ways to keep funding Ukraine, in case member states fail to bypass a veto by Hungary.

Russian stats

Moscow has repeatedly condemned Western arms shipments to Kyiv, arguing they would only prolong the fighting and do little to deter its military aims. Russia’s Defense Ministry recently published statistics detailing the aid supplied to Ukraine from abroad during the conflict with Russia.

According to Russian Defense Ministry figures, Kyiv’s foreign backers together have spent more than $203 billion on assisting the government of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his fight against Russian invasion.

According to the report, about 54 countries have assisted Ukraine in its fight against Russia. The report also claims that more than 500 U.S. and NATO spacecraft and satellites are working for Kyiv, including 70 military surveillance satellites.

^{Ukrainian soldiers on a Leopard 1A5 tank, at the German army Bundeswehr base, part of the EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine in Klietz, Germany, on May 2023. (Image Credit: Reuters/Fabrizio Bensch)}

Kyiv has received substantial military support from its Western allies, including over 1,600 units of missile and artillery equipment, over 200 air defense systems, approximately 5,220 tanks and armored vehicles, and a significant number of more than 23,000 drones, according to the Ministry.

The Russian military’s assessment also suggest that more than 13,500 foreign mercenaries joined the conflict in Ukraine to support Kyiv, with approximately 8,500 hailing from Europe, over 2,700 from North and South America, and the remaining individuals arriving from Asia and Africa.