Biden says Ukraine funding will run out by 2024, demands Congress hand over more money

The Biden administration has warned that the United States will run out of money to continue supplying aid to Ukraine by the end of the year unless Congress takes action to provide further funds.

In a letter to Republican and Democrat leaders in the House and Senate, Budget Director Shalanda Young suggested that while many allies have ramped up their support for the war-torn nation, American aid "is critical and cannot be replicated."
 

"I write to you today ... to express the acute urgency we face as Congress weighs whether we continue to fight for freedom across the globe or we ignore the lessons we have learned from history and let Putin and autocracy prevail," Young began.

"I want to be clear: without congressional action, by the end of the year we will run out of resources to procure more weapons and equipment for Ukraine and to provide equipment from US military stocks. There is no magical pot of funding available to meet this moment. We are out of money—and nearly out of time."

Young went on to claim that cutting off the flow of military assistance will "kneecap Ukraine on the battlefield," putting the advances the nation has made in jeopardy, and "increasing the likelihood of Russian military victories."

She noted that as of mid-November, the Department of Defense had used up 97 percent of the $62.3 billion it had received, and the State had used up 100 percent of its military assistance, which totaled $4.7 billion.

Young suggested that helping Ukraine defend itself was in the national security interest of the US by "prevent[ing] larger conflicts in the region that could involve NATO and put US forces in harm's way."

As CNN reports, the Biden administration has provided Ukraine with over $110 billion in assistance. While Congress has dutifully passed more funding as needed since the war broke out, in recent months a number of members have expressed a desire to dial down the amount.