White House announces stopgap Ukraine aid package
The White House announced on Tuesday a stopgap US$300 million package of vital military aid to Ukraine, sidestepping Republicans in Congress amid fears that Russia's offensive is gaining ground. The shipment, the first in months from Kyiv's biggest ally Washington, will include anti-aircraft missiles, ammunition, artillery rounds and some armoured vehicles, officials said. The announcement comes as President Joe Biden hosts Poland's President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Donald Tusk at the White House to reassure them of US support for Nato and Ukraine. "Today, on behalf of President Biden, I'm announcing an emergency package of security assistance and US$300 million worth of weapons and equipment to address some of Ukraine's pressing needs," National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters. "The world is watching. The clock is ticking and we need to see action as rapidly as possible." The announcement comes as Republican lawmakers have been blocking Biden's request for a US$60 billion aid package for Ukraine, with the Democratic president's rival Donald Trump urging them not to give him a legislative win in an election year. US defence officials said they had managed to find the US$300 million for Ukraine by making savings on recent purchases by the Pentagon, but stressed the need for Congress to pass more aid. "It is a relatively small package to give Ukraine the minimum of what it needs for a short amount of time," a senior defence official told reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity. "We had savings come in that will allow us to offset the cost of a new drawdown package," the official added. "This is a bit of a unique occurrence... so we do need the House to act." Alarm is growing among US allies as Congress blocks aid for Ukraine, and after Trump threatened to cut funding for Kyiv if elected while encouraging Russia to invade Nato countries that fail to meet defence spending goals. (AFP)