The Pentagon is facing challenges in utilizing the nearly $7 billion authorized by Congress to arm Ukraine before President Joe Biden leaves office. Shortages in weapons inventories have limited the amount of aid the US can send to Kyiv in recent months. The US has been working on increasing its capacity to produce critical munitions, such as artillery shells, but the ramp-up is not yet complete.
Despite the urgency of the situation due to Russian attacks on Ukraine, including the use of ballistic missiles, the Pentagon is unlikely to exhaust the remaining funds before the end of Biden's term. The administration is committed to using the full authority allotted by Congress, but time constraints pose a challenge.
The US is still left with $6.8 billion in authority to provide military aid to Ukraine, with concerns arising about the level of support under the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump. The administration is considering increasing the size of aid packages, aiming to leave Ukraine in a stronger position.
Additionally, a senior Biden administration official suggested that Ukraine should lower its military recruiting age to 18 to address the critical need for fresh manpower. The focus is on training new soldiers to replace those lost in combat.
The US has been authorizing military aid packages totaling around $750 million per month, with plans to increase it to $1 billion per month. However, there are still significant quantities of weapons and equipment expected to arrive in Ukraine before the start of the Trump administration.
Despite commitments made by Biden in September to provide military aid to Ukraine, challenges remain in utilizing the allocated funds effectively. The US has been announcing aid packages regularly, but the pace needs to increase significantly to utilize the remaining funds before the end of the current administration.
In conclusion, the US faces hurdles in fully utilizing the authorized funds to support Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, with efforts ongoing to expedite the delivery of aid before the transition to the new administration.
