The White House will give Ukraine a $300 million arms package

On Tuesday, officials announced that the White House will allocate an additional $300 million in weapons to Ukraine, amidst ongoing delays in Congress where Republican leaders are withholding further funding.

The provision of this package will be facilitated through presidential drawdown authority (PDA), allowing for the extraction of weapons from existing U.S. stockpiles. The military equipment slated for Ukraine includes anti-aircraft missiles, ammunition, artillery rounds, and anti-armor systems, according to the officials.

This announcement coincides with Ukraine's urgent need for weaponry amid its prolonged conflict with Russia over the past two years.

“When Russian troops advance and its guns fire, Ukraine does not have enough ammunition to fire back,” national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in announcing the new aid package.

Meanwhile, a senior defense official noted that the United States has nearly depleted its funding designated for assisting Ukraine. The impasse in Congress has compelled the military to devise innovative strategies to finance weapons shipments to Ukraine.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, has declined to bring a bill to the floor that would allocate an additional $60 billion in aid for Ukraine.

The most recent supplemental funding package dates back to December 2022. While $200 million in aid was dispatched to Ukraine last December, it was financed using funds from the preceding year.