US officials are working on transferring billions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine by January. They face both logistical challenges and concerns about depleting American stocks.
According to a senior official, the Biden administration plans on delivering more than 500 missiles to Ukraine’s Patriot air defense system and NASAMS air defence systems.
According to US officials, the weapons shipments cited by The Wall Street Journal “should meet Ukraine’s needs for air defense for the remainder of this year.”
The Pentagon’s concern over the depletion of US stockpiles is a major obstacle to the push to send billions of dollars in military aid.
Over $7 billion of drawdown authority for weapon transfers and more than $2 billion for long-term contracts for equipment remain unspent.
The Pentagon announced that it would be deploying “a small number” of contractors to help Ukraine maintain F-16s and other systems.
In a recent statement, the Pentagon stated that “ensuring these weapon systems remain capable of mission is critical for Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggression.”
According to US officials and an adviser to the Ukrainian government, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin declined to give priority to Ukraine’s ATACMS delivery over other buyers after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy requested it.
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