The White House said that the US is currently focused on providing Ukraine with free military aid — $40 billion allocated by Congress must be used, after which Lend-Lease will come into effect.
This is reported by "Voice of America".
The Lend-Lease program provides a refund for the equipment received, while the other programs — the Ukraine Security Promotion Initiative and the Presidential Empowerment Program — do not provide a refund. The last supplies of American weapons to Ukraine were just under free programs. The Biden administration must spend the $40 billion package by the end of the fiscal year, which will come at the end of September.
National Security Council and Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby said the administration is still reviewing the Lend-Lease powers. At the same time, he recalled that last week Biden signed the allocation of a new package of military aid to Ukraine worth $400 million. "We already have many powers, and we use them," the official added.
- On April 7, the United States Senate unanimously approved the Lend-Lease Law for Ukraine. On April 28, the US House of Representatives adopted this document, and on May 9, US President Joe Biden signed it.
- July 9 was the deadline when US President Joe Biden was supposed to establish the procedure for lend-lease.