US President Joe Biden’s administration is considering using a State Department grant program to send additional military aid to Ukraine.
Source: Politico with reference to the words of two American officials
Details: President Joe Biden hinted at the strategy on Wednesday, saying “there’s another way we can get funding for this,” the newspaper reported. He declined to comment further.
One of the officials said the president’s comments referred to “existing funding authorities” that Congress previously provided to the administration, “which allow us to provide additional support to Ukraine a little longer if Congress does not act.”
One option being considered is using foreign defense financing, a program run by the State Department that provides grants or loans to help partner countries acquire weapons and defense equipment.
The publication notes that even if the United States uses financial powers to purchase weapons, Congress must still authorize additional funding to support Ukraine, the American official said.
The administration could also potentially ask Congress to redirect funding from the Pentagon budget to support Ukraine, according to a Defense Department official. However, this route requires legislative approval.
Brigadier Patrick Ryder said a decision had not yet been made on which route the department would take: “Diversion is always an option for urgent needs. At this time, to my knowledge, no decision has been made about using diversion as a way to maintain security.” Ukraine”.
Background:
2023-10-05 23:28:01
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