Due to disputes over the budget between US politicians, Ukraine cannot receive $5 billion in aid

The budget dispute between US politicians, which could lead to the second government shutdown in a decade, is also affecting the allocation of funds to Ukraine.

Source. Bloomberg

Without additional funding, the Pentagon is authorized by Congress to send Ukraine $5 billion worth of weapons and equipment from existing stocks.

The problem is that these weapons need to be replaced with new ones, but the Pentagon has only $1.6 billion left to allocate to manufacturers, Defense Department auditor Mike McCord explained to the publication.

"We could easily have spent that $1.6 billion by now, but we're holding onto it. That's all I have," he said. McCord does not know if and when the Pentagon will receive the additional funds requested by President Joe Biden from Congress.

According to Pentagon officials, a government shutdown could slow down the process of replacing weapons allocated to Ukraine, in part because inspectors who accept military equipment would be furloughed, as they would not have money to pay them. As a result, contractors will not receive final payments and may suspend production.

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed on Wednesday called it "short-sighted" to have no money when "we need to increase arms production for Ukraine and focus on future needs in the Indo-Pacific region."

In August, the White House asked Congress to allocate an additional $24 billion to help Ukraine, including $13 billion for military supplies.

However, some Republicans in the House of Representatives oppose the extension of financial support. On Tuesday, the Senate proposed a temporary budget funding package, including $6 billion for Ukraine.

However, in the House of Representatives, where Republicans have a slight majority, nine congressmen are actively opposed, raising the possibility of a government shutdown when funding runs out at the end of this week.

Background. As a reminder, Anthony Blinken explained how the United States managed to find legal grounds for the transfer of some Russian assets to Ukraine.