Biden Asks Congress To Extend Nearly $6 Billion in Ukraine Aid

If the funds aren't used by the end of the month, they will expire unless Congress issues an extension

The Biden administration has asked Congress to extend a form of military aid for Ukraine, which will expire if it is not used by September 30.

The Pentagon said there is $5.9 billion left for Ukraine spending under the Presidential Drawdown Authority, which allows the US to ship weapons directly from its military stockpiles.

Out of the $5.9 billion, $5.8 billion will expire if not extended by the end of the fiscal year. The administration wants Congress to include the extension in a continuing resolution that might be passed before September 30.

“The [Defense] Department will continue to provide drawdown packages in the near future and is working with Congress to seek an extension of PDA authorities beyond the end of the fiscal year,” Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told The Hill.

The Biden administration could use a good portion of the $5.8 billion by the end of the month as National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Saturday that the US was preparing a “substantial” weapons package for Ukraine.

Twice, the administration has claimed that it undervalued weapons it shipped to Ukraine, freeing up billions of more dollars in PDA. In July, the Pentagon said it discovered $2 billion in “accounting errors” that made more PDA available, and in 2023, it found $6.2 billion.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.