CNN: US allocates funds to support Ukrainian army from army reserves

The US Army has had to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in bills to support the Ukrainian armed forces over the past few months as the outlook for funding for Ukraine in Congress remains uncertain.

According to CNN, army officials are increasingly concerned that without new funding, they will have to cut money from other important projects to continue supporting Kyiv.

Since October 2023, the start of the fiscal year, the army has spent more than $430 million on various operations, including training Ukrainian troops, transporting equipment, and deploying US troops to Europe. These bills were paid by the US Command in Europe and Africa.

"Essentially, we're doing this out of army reserves," a senior military official told CNN.

Without a congressionally approved 2024 budget and without additional funding from Ukraine, the command has about $3 billion to pay for its operational costs, which total $5 billion, another senior military official explained.

This includes operations related to support for Kyiv, such as training and the transfer of weapons and equipment to Poland and Ukraine, as well as other US commands across Europe and Africa.

If Congress does not pass a bill to fund Ukraine within a few months, the US military will have to make tough decisions and abandon less important projects, such as building barracks or boosting recruitment, Pentagon officials say.

Background. As reported, the US is considering providing Ukraine with long-range missiles, but this will happen only if the Congress approves the bill on financing Ukraine.