The Pentagon this week refused to provide key details about the Biden administration’s request for an additional $37.7 billion in funding to help Ukraine defend itself from Russia’s invasion – a request that would put total U.S. taxpayer support to Ukraine above $100 billion since the war started in February.
The White House asked for more money last week in a letter from the Office of Management and Budget to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. That letter explained that of the $37.7 billion it wants, $21.7 billion would go toward “equipment for Ukraine, replenishment of Department of Defense stocks” and other support to Ukraine.
However, when asked Tuesday how much of that amount would be directed toward replenishing U.S. stocks, the Pentagon declined to answer.
“I would not be able to tell you how much of that $21.7 billion is going back to replenishment,” Sabrina Singh, deputy Pentagon press secretary, said when asked. “I just wouldn’t be able to do that from here.”
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The Pentagon, led by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, is not saying how much money it needs to replenish U.S. weapons stocks.
(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
When asked if she could “take the question” back to the Pentagon and come back with an answer, Singh said she would not.
“I am not going to take the question because I’m answering your question,” he said. “I’m not going to be able to itemize that out right now. I just don’t have a number or a dollar figure for you right now on what that looks like, and I don’t think that’s something that we would broadcast from here, or at least something that I could broadcast from here at this time.”
The administration will most likely have to provide more details to Congress before legislation can be passed authorizing more Ukraine spending. For example, the first Ukraine funding bill sought by the administration at the start of the war authorized $40 billion in spending. Of that amount, $6 billion was used to provide weapons, equipment, logistics support, training and other direct military aid to Ukraine, and $9 billion went toward replenishing U.S. weapons stocks.
Lawmakers and others are growing increasingly interested in funding to replenish U.S. weapons stocks, after the U.S. has been depleting its own supplies to aid Ukraine.
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President Biden is asking for another $37.7…
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