The U.S. is running out of money and time helping Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression, Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young warned in a letter to Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and other congressional leaders.
Young said in the letter that by the end of the year, the U.S. will no longer have the funds to send weapons and assistance to Ukraine. It “will not be able to keep fighting,” Young said of Ukraine, noting that the U.S. has already run out of money for propping up Ukraine’s economy.
Last October, the Biden administration asked Congress for nearly $106 billion to fund ambitious plans for Ukraine, Israel and U.S. border security.
Funding for Ukraine has become politically controversial with some right-leaning lawmakers in the narrowly Republican-controlled Congress.
However, Young said in the letter released by the White House that cutting off funding and a flow of weapons to Ukraine would likely work to Russia’s advantage on the battlefield.
“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, to provide equipment from U.S. military stocks,” she wrote. “There is no magical pot of funding available to meet this moment. We are out of money — and nearly out of time,” she said.
With a nod to important political swing states and Republican strongholds ahead of the 2024 election, Young noted that funding could be used for contracts with companies in Alabama, Texas, Georgia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Michigan.
Democratic Senator Mark Warner said last week that the U.S. Congress was on the brink of making a tragic error.
“I think if Congress doesn’t provide aid before Christmas, it would be a historic mistake,” Warner told Reuters.
A Washington Post report details how friction and…
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