State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said at a briefing that the US will not always support Ukraineʼs military funding at the level of 2022-2023, as it seeks to help Kyiv build its own military-industrial base.
The plan is for Ukraine to be able to independently finance, produce and purchase weapons. This is being done gradually, and the US Congress, according to Miller, should approve a bill on additional funding, because Ukraine has not yet reached a level where it can rely on its own forces.
John Kirby, the coordinator of strategic communications of the National Security Council of the White House, said at a briefing that the priority weapon in future aid packages for Ukraine is air defense. This also requires Congress to approve the request for additional funding.
The day before, Kirby said that the US no longer has sufficient funding to provide Ukraine with new military aid packages. The latest aid package worth $250 million was announced on December 27, 2023.
- Back in September 2023, the White House asked Congress to approve a $106 billion funding package, of which more than $61 billion is allocated to Ukraine, and the rest to help Israel, Taiwan, and protect the border with Mexico. The issue of border protection has become a key point of disagreement between Democrats and Republicans in Congress. It is this that slows down the approval of the request of the White House.
- On December 7, 2023, the US Senate blocked the bill on money, in particular for Ukraine. Republicans voted against. Joe Biden called the prospect of the US refusing to help Ukraine an "absolute mistake" and "madness". After that, the House of Representatives, whose decisions depend on the package, went on vacation until at least the second half of January.