Biden administration wants to save over US$6 billion in Ukraine aid as deadline expires
Reuters, citing sources, has written that US President Joe Biden’s administration is in urgent discussions with Congress to allow it to use more than US$6 billion in military aid to Ukraine before 30 September.
According to Reuters, the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), a key component of the US$6 billion aid package to Ukraine passed in April, allows the president to transfer defence items and services from US stocks in response to emergencies.
The PDA has been the primary mechanism the Biden administration uses to deliver arms to Ukraine. Most recently, on 23 August, the administration announced a US$125 million military aid package, including air defence missiles, anti-drone equipment, anti-tank missiles and ammunition.
However, most of the US$7.8 billion in the bill Biden signed in April has not been used, leaving officials scrambling to find a way to preserve the remaining US$6 billion as a 30 September deadline, the end of fiscal year 2024, approaches.
Sources close to the negotiations told Reuters that the State Department hopes to include the extension in a Continuing Resolution, a short-term emergency spending bill that the Senate and House of Representatives must pass this month to avoid a government shutdown on 30 September.
Congressional aides, who requested anonymity to discuss the ongoing negotiations, insisted that a solution will be found given the strong bipartisan support for aid to Ukraine.
Congressional aides said it was not entirely clear why the flow of weapons to Ukraine has slowed this year but said it was partly due to the US Department of Defense's concern that its stocks are being depleted as the arms industry struggles with supply chain problems.
Lawmakers supporting Ukraine from both parties have stressed the importance of continued support.
While negotiations with Congress continue, the administration is considering a contingency plan in which the State Department would make a substantial aid announcement by 30 September, effectively spending the remaining US$6 billion before the programme expires.
The sources report that under this contingency plan, the timeline for the delivery of weapons and equipment would be extended, allowing for a more gradual transfer of resources to Ukraine.
Congressional aides and administration officials also point out that another resource is available: about US$3 billion in PDA authority, allocated because of a Pentagon accounting error, remains available to help Ukraine. These authorities do not expire.
Several US civil society organisations have asked the State Department not to miss the opportunity to use the remaining US$6.2 billion still available under the President's PDA authority to help Ukraine. However, this will only be available until the end of the budget year, which expires on 30 September.