The United States is set to hold a monthly meeting of about 50 countries that do not have the money and the ammunition for Ukraine to continue its war against Russia.
Uncertain whether Congress will approve new aid to Kyiv, the US is seeking allies to continue backing the war-torn country. Deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh stated that Tuesday’s meeting focused on long-term needs.
Even though we aren’t able to provide our security assistance right now, our partners are continuing to do that.
The meeting will be held online as US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin is still recovering at home from complications stemming from cancer treatment.
On December 27, the Pentagon announced its latest $250 million in aid to Ukraine, including 155-millimetre shells, Stinger anti-aircraft missiles and other items drawn from existing US stockpiles. Since then, the United States has been unable to provide additional ammunition, as the money to replenish those stocks has run out and Congress has yet to approve additional funds.
A joint aid package for Ukraine and Israel worth more than $110 billion has stalled due to disagreements between Congress and the White House over other policy priorities, including additional security on the US-Mexico border.
The US provided over $44.2 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the war broke out in February 2022. About $23.6 billion of that amount was drawn from existing military stockpiles, and nearly $19 billion was sent in the form of long-term military contracts for items that would take months to receive.
Some 30 international partners, including the United States, also continue to train the Ukrainian military. To date, a total of 118,000 Ukrainians have been trained at locations around the world, according to Colonel Martin O’Donnell, spokesman for US Army Europe and Africa.
The United States has trained about 18,000 such soldiers, including about 16,300 troops in Germany. Another 1,500 fighters are currently undergoing training.
