WASHINGTON (Fwrd Axis) — The White House is preparing to send a new funding request for additional Ukraine aid that is expected to last for the next five months, administration officials said.
White House officials did not specify a number but called the amount “massive”.
The amount is expected to be enough to fund U.S. military, economic and humanitarian aid to Ukraine until the end of the fiscal year in September.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said this week the intention for Ukraine is to “weaken” Russia with U.S. officials hoping they can assist Ukraine to win the war against Russia.
Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently took a trip to Ukraine to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Since the beginning of the war, the United States has provided Ukraine with more than $3 billion in military aid, most recently announcing an $800 million U.S. aid package last week. President Joe Biden said in remarks last week that he has nearly exhausted all funding authorized by Congress for military aid and that he would be submitting a new request this week.
“We will not lessen our resolve. We’re going to continue to stand with the brave and proud people of Ukraine. We will never fail in our determination to defend freedom and oppose tyranny. It’s as simple as that,” Biden said.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Wednesday that it “will definitely be this week.”
“In terms of the length or the size, I don’t have a number for you at this point in time,” Psaki said, “but there are plans for this to be a proposal to go through the fiscal year, and it will include, as our past packages have included, security or military assistance, humanitarian economic assistance, given those in our view will help address a range of the needs the Ukrainians have.”