KYIV, Ukraine: The U.S. administration cannot predict when a $60 billion military aid package for Ukraine will be approved, a senior U.S. official said Wednesday, as new airstrikes have killed civilians in Russia and Ukraine.
Kiev’s military is facing shortages of personnel and ammunition on the battlefield, as political infighting in the US Congress has raised uncertainty about the future of Western aid.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, who visited Kiev on Wednesday, addressed the stalled aid bill, saying: “It has already taken too long. And I know that, you know that.”
He said he was not going to make predictions about exactly when that will get done, but, he added they were working to get it done as soon as possible. However, he couldn’t make a specific prediction, he told media at a press conference in Kyiv.
Republicans have blocked a massive aid package since last year, as the budget has been embroiled in a domestic debate over President Joe Biden’s immigration policies.
Washington is Ukraine’s most important military backer, providing tens of billions of dollars in aid since Moscow invaded in February 2022.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the delay in aid has cost Ukraine lives and soil.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Tuesday that he was shocked that aid measures had not yet been lifted.
Sullivan said Wednesday that he is confident the impasse will be overcome despite the interruption.
“We will get that money out the door,” he added.
Both Russia and Ukraine announced Wednesday that civilians had been killed in airstrikes.
