Yuriy Kobzar20:28, 28.02.24
In fact, it is not about money, but about the right to take 4 billion worth of weapons from the US army, which the Pentagon itself does not like very much.
The Pentagon still has at its disposal about 4 billion dollars previously allocated for the military support of Kyiv within the so-called “presidential powers for Ukraine”. Now American officials are thinking about whether it is worth letting this money go, writes CNN .
As “numerous defense officials” of the USA told journalists, it is not about “live money”, but about the authority to transfer military property to Ukraine from the US army’s own reserves. Until now, the Pentagon did not want to touch this “stockpile” until Congress provides funding for the purchase of new weapons for the American army instead of those that will be sent to Ukraine.
According to the sources, military officials feared a reduction in the combat readiness of American troops if they were not immediately compensated for everything that would go to the Ukrainians. But in the conditions when Ukraine is increasingly in need of US military aid, and Congress cannot possibly approve a new program, the Pentagon thought about using at least part of these 4 billion dollars, which Joe Biden has the authority to provide.
No decisions have been made yet, the officials emphasized. But talk of that option and other potential “plan Bs” has become increasingly urgent over the past few weeks as the situation on the battlefield in Ukraine grows increasingly dire, officials said.
An unnamed Pentagon official told CNN that the next aid package to Ukraine, if it comes, “will definitely include critical munitions.” There are also discussions on how and where to move the military equipment to be transferred to Ukraine immediately, as soon as there is permission to do so.
(C)UNIAN 2024
Seems like outdated information. If Pentagon is still sitting on that much leverage it needs to get that ammo to Ukraine fricken NOW!
Right, Sir Bill! The correct interpretation certainly isn’t IF it’s worth it to deliver these reserves, but only WHAT the political consequences will be. It’s all about domestic politics during this election year, that’s the critical point! 🤨
Well, maybe it will sink in now that someone else has said it…even if it is CNN.
WTF?! We have nukes and live on an isolated continent. We can send Ukraine our last shirt and still be completely safe.
Why agitate for 3 to 4 billion dollars of armaments when the real needs exceed 50 to 60 billion for 2024?
It’s a bandage on a wooden leg! An anecdote in the history of arms deliveries to Ukraine. These successive packages only accentuate the risk of collapse of the front. This gives a false sense of support. It’s not true, we just do the bottom of the drawer, that’s all. We must stop this strategy and make politicians face their responsibility, place them just above the void, facing the debacle. Otherwise, no one will take real action. Otherwise Ukraine will disappear.
I have not seen a single politician in the West who has put his career, his political networks on the line to try to unblock things. Everyone treats this conflict like the countless files that clutter up desks they never use.
We want to see risk, real political stances. For the moment, for 2 years we have been entitled to laconic declarations from the chancelleries which repeat the same clichés “it’s intolerable”, “it’s unacceptable”, “Ukraine must win”…
On the side of the Orcs, they assume their genocidal logic, they want to annihilate, drown, rape the Ukrainian people. It’s live on the Russian channel! They say it and they do it.
Let us also take responsibility and say that we want to pulverize the Nazis in the Kremlin and let’s do it, for God’s sake!
Can’t they use this 4 billion for weapons to destroy Trump and Johnson in order to unlock 60 billion for Ukraine?
^bert
Lol, Bert! 😄
Hello, sorry, you’re daydreaming!
Now Trump controls Biden too? lol…
“the real needs exceed 50 to 60 billion for 2024”
Other Nato member states’ deliveries will exceed that, their budget plans show. So, Ukraine won’t lose, the obstructionism by the Trumpists will only delay victory. Still, there’s already blood on the hands of Trump, Johnson, Gaetz, MTG and the like, indeed. History won’t remember them kindly. And I do think Biden should be outspoken about those traitors helping a deadly enemy of the US. Zero tolerance for fascists! 😠
And here I thought all the US money allocated for military support had been spent and sent months ago. I believe the US administration made such a statement in December of 2023.
Yes we need to send much more than $4 billion in military aid, but this military equipment should have already been sent at least a month or more ago as every little bit helps.
It appears that along with some Republicans in the House, others in DC are not all that interested or competent enough to make timely decisions to send any additional military support to Ukraine.
As I understand it, FedUp, these are mothballed goods in the reserve, worth about 4 billion bucks, that the Pentagon evaluates as “surplus” and thus can be handed over to a potential buyer or foreign country under the excess articles act. The 4 billions are only the amount in the books, they haven’t been part of a Congress bill.
Gray, thanks for the clarification.
I just wish all the folks in DC – the President, Congress, and the Pentagon could actually make effective and timely decisions to support Ukraine with the necessary equipment to win and then quickly execute the decision.
I wonder if there is something about politicians of all stripes that create an environment that results in indecision, posturing, and bloviating forever. Maybe it has to do with the vast majority of them never having a real job with very specific deliverables with rigid time frames? Maybe only people with the gift of gab and hot air that can’t cut it in a real job in the real world become forever politicians?