Biden admin hurries to send over $6 billion in remaining aid to Ukraine before Trump’s inauguration


The Biden administration is working urgently to send over $6 billion of its remaining security assistance to Ukraine before Inauguration Day, aiming to reinforce Ukraine’s defenses amid concerns that aid could be halted once President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

According to a report by Politico, two anonymous administration officials confirmed that speeding up aid delivery is the White House’s only option to ensure continued support for Ukraine. However, logistical challenges mean that much of the equipment and munitions will take months to reach Ukraine after being announced. This delay may allow a future Trump administration to cancel shipments before they are fully sent out.

A significant barrier to faster delivery, Politico reported, is that the US can only send equipment currently in its stockpiles. Although funds are allocated to reimburse the Pentagon, aid deployment depends on the speed of production for new artillery and weaponry.

“We have been sending whatever industry can produce each month, but the problem is you can only send these things as they are produced,” explained Mark Cancian, a former Department of Defense budget official. “The administration could dip into the stockpiles and send equipment more quickly, but it’s unclear the Pentagon would want to do that since it would affect its own readiness.”

Pentagon spokesperson Lt. Col. Charlie Dietz stated that the Pentagon remains “on track to continue to provide the authorized assistance to support Ukraine.”

The remaining funds are part of a $61 billion Ukraine aid package approved in April. This includes $4.3 billion for sending existing equipment from US stockpiles and $2.1 billion for contracting additional weaponry from US defense companies.

When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Washington in September, President Biden ordered the Pentagon to allocate the remaining aid that had been appropriated by Congress. Per Politico, that included “plans to parcel out the remaining Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative funds, money that the government can use to put weapons in production for Ukraine instead of buying them off the shelf, by the end of 2024.”

This Story originally came from humanevents.com

 


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What Ceasefire? ‘Heavy Clashes’ In South Lebanon As Beirut Buildings Leveled

What Ceasefire? ‘Heavy Clashes’ In South Lebanon As Beirut Buildings Leveled

Despite all the recent talk of a potential ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel in the works, regional reports say that some of the fiercest ground fighting is currently taking place in southern Lebanon on Friday.

Heavy Israeli aerial bombardments of the southern suburbs of Beirut have also continued with intensity. On Friday an Israeli missile completely leveled a residential multi-story in the neighborhood of Chiyah. Israel’s military reportedly issued a civilian evacuation alert shortly before, and terrifying video from the scene suggests locals knew it was about to be struck.

In the south of Lebanon, near the border, UN peacekeeping forces say they are monitoring “heavy clashes” on Friday, saying most of the fighting is centered in the coastal town of Naqoura as well as the village of Chamaa.

There are also emerging reports which say four Italian soldiers were injured after two rockets hit a UNIFIL base in Chamaa. Italy’s deputy prime minister has said Hezbollah was likely behind the rocket firing: “There were believed to be two missiles, from what it appears, they are believed to have been launched by Hezbollah.”

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni issued a statement of “deep indignation and concern” over “new attacks suffered by the Italian headquarters of UNIFIL in southern Lebanon.”

“These attacks are unacceptable,” she stated, adding that “the parties on the ground to guarantee, at all times, the safety of UNIFIL soldiers and to collaborate to quickly identify those responsible.”

“We are aware of heavy shelling in the vicinity of our bases,” UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti has said, saying that since the incident all UN troops appear to be safe “for the moment”.

Up until now, the UNIFIL has claimed its command posts came under attack by Israeli forces, including IDF tanks, several times. This appears to be the first time that Hezbollah fired on UN locations.

IDF forces earlier this week reached their deepest point into Lebanon since the ground invasion began, in the countryside vicinity of the port city of Tyre, which has been pummeled by airstrikes.

UNIFIL base (in the background) in Chamaa, Lebanon. Wiki Commons

Israel has repeatedly demanded that the UNIFIL troops withdraw – requests which have been refused. This puts the UNIFIL outposts in the direct line of fire as the war encircles their positions.

“UNIFIL strongly urges combating parties to avoid fighting next to its positions. Inviolability of UN premises and personnel must be respected at all times,” a Friday statement said.

Tyler Durden
Fri, 11/22/2024 – 18:00

Ukraine seeking new air-defence systems after latest Russian strike: Zelensky

Ukraine is asking its Western partners for updated air defence systems after Russia fired an ultra-fast ballistic missile at the city of Dnipro this week, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday. “Ukraine’s defence minister is already holding meetings with our partners on new air defence systems — exactly the kind of systems that can protect lives […]

The post Ukraine seeking new air-defence systems after latest Russian strike: Zelensky appeared first on Insider Paper.

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