US Speaker Johnson releases preliminary details of a new $43bn Ukraine aid package

US Speaker Johnson releases preliminary details of a new $43bn Ukraine aid package
US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has released preliminary details of a $43bn aid package for Ukraine that he hopes to bring to a vote later this week. / bne IntelliNews
By bne IntelliNews April 16, 2024

US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has released preliminary details of a new aid package for US allies that he says could be put to a vote this week.

In a note released to members of Congress shared on social media, the total package of aid for Israel, Ukraine and Red Sea operations comes to $95.34bn, of which $48.43bn is earmarked for Ukraine, $14.1bn for Israel and $2.4bn for operations in the South China Sea. The missing difference is dedicated to humanitarian aid, the details of Johnson said will be released later.

Of the money to go to Ukraine, $19.85bn will be spent on restocking the Department of Defense arsenal, which has been depleted by transfers to Ukraine. Another $14.8bn is for US European Command Area of Responsibility (EUCOM AOR) and is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States military, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. $13.8bn is for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) to buy weapons from the US. A further $8mn is earmarked for the DoD Inspector General to oversee the transfers and spending to ensure there is no corruption. And an additional $7.85bn will be paid directly to the government in Kyiv to support the budget.

Ukraine’s Finance Ministry said separately on April 14 that it has earmarked $6bn this year for purchase of weapons and ammunition.

Western financial and military aid has become snarled in internal wrangling since last autumn. The US ran out of money for Ukraine in January, which has precipitated a growing ammo crisis in recent months as the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) begins to run dangerously low on supplies.

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