Currently, the US Department of Defence is forced to independently finance operations to support the Ukrainian military, as Congress cannot approve a request for additional funding.
How much money does the Pentagon have to finance aid to Ukraine?
It is noted that over the past several months, the US Department of Defence has been paying bills for hundreds of millions of dollars as part of operations to support the Ukrainian military.
Journalists emphasise that for further military support, the US Department of Defence will have to attract funds from other military programs.
In particular, since October 3, 2023, the US Department of Defence has spent $430 million on operations to support Ukraine.
In the material of the publication, it is indicated that the expenses included the conduct of Ukrainian military exercises, the transportation of equipment and the transfer of American troops to Europe.
It is indicated that until now the cost accounts were paid by the command of the army of Europe and Africa.
In the absence of the Congress-approved supplemental funding bill for Ukraine and the 2024 budget, the command has approximately $3 billion to pay for operational costs of $5 billion.
It is noted that we are talking not only about operations to support Ukraine, but also other operations on the territory of Europe and Africa.
If Congress does not approve additional funding for Ukraine in the coming months, the U.S. military will have to make decisions about how to draw funds from programs such as building barracks or encouraging conscription amid record low recruitment.
If the army does not receive funds from other sources, by the end of May the budget of the Army of Europe and Africa, which amounts to approximately 3 billion dollars, will run out of money for operations related not only to Ukraine, but also to other parts of Europe and Africa, noted one of the American military officials.
How the US continued to support Ukraine in the absence of additional funding
The publication notes that in the absence of additional funding for Ukraine approved by Congress, the training of the Ukrainian military is currently financed from the funds of the US Department of Defense.
Colonel Martin O'Donnell, the representative of the US Army in Europe and Africa, told CNN that the US is training about 1,500 Ukrainians at the Grafenwehr training ground in Germany.
On the territory of the USA, the training of Ukrainian pilots to operate F-16 fighters continues at the Morris Air National Guard Air Base in Arizona.
In addition to training, the Ukrainians continue to receive equipment from the US stockpiles as part of the previous packages of the Presidential Administration for Reduction of Staff (PDA), as well as from weapons and equipment purchased at the defense industrial base as part of the Initiative to promote the security of Ukraine (USAI).
According to another US military official, the hundreds of millions of dollars spent by the US US Department of Defence this year are divided into three categories.
In particular, we are talking about contracts, travel, transportation and deliveries.
It is noted that the costs include logistics costs, provision of food products, provision of key equipment, including spare parts and fuel.
All this is intended not only for Ukrainian military personnel undergoing training, but also for American instructors.
So far in fiscal year 2024, the Army has spent $39.7 million on ground transportation.
While some of the military's spending could be replenished through the additional spending bill being debated on Capitol Hill, it is also critical for the service that Congress approves the fiscal year 2024 budget. Last month, lawmakers approved a short-term funding bill to keep the government open until early March.
US National Guard chief Gen. Daniel Hokanson told reporters that the agency will eventually need more resources if the U.S. intends to train more Ukrainian F-16 pilots.
We have the resources to continue the training that has already begun and we hope that all of these people will complete it later this year, Hokanson said.
However, if the US wants to increase the number of pilots for training, then additional funds will be needed.
A senior military official warned that ultimately, the funding delay would have broader consequences than disrupting training or aid to Ukraine.
