There is a significant slowdown in the supply of American weapons to Ukraine in 2024. The administration of President Joe Biden is urgently negotiating with Congress to use the remaining $6 billion in military aid by September 30 of this year.
Reuters reports that sources familiar with the situation confirm that the efforts come at a critical moment for Ukrainian forces, as Ukrainian forces continue their offensive in Russia's Kursk region while simultaneously holding off Russian attacks on Pokrovsk.
The publication notes that most of the $7.8 billion allocated in April has not yet been used. Now, “officials are frantically looking for a way to keep the remaining $6 billion from burning through by the end of the fiscal year on September 30.”.
To avoid a government shutdown that could result from a budget shortfall, the State Department is proposing a short-term emergency spending bill. The bill is expected to pass the Senate and House of Representatives this month. If negotiations are successful, Biden will be able to roll over the funds into the next fiscal year.
However, the Biden administration is also preparing a backup plan in case the negotiations fail. If the bill fails, the State Department plans to announce the delivery of all $6 billion by the end of the month, in order to spend the remaining balance by September 30.
The slowdown in arms shipments to Ukraine this year is partly due to the US Department of Defense's concern about depleting its own stockpiles and problems in the defense industry's supply chain, congressional sources say.
