CNN —The US is expected to announce a major weapons package to Ukraine as soon as next week, but it will likely delay the shipping of the equipment due to inventory shortages, according to two US officials.
The US currently has $5.9 billion left in Presidential Drawdown Authority for Ukraine, the Pentagon said this week, which is set to expire at the end of the fiscal year in less than two weeks.
Presidential drawdown packages were initially intended as a way of supplying Ukraine with arms and equipment in the short-term since the start of the war with Russia.
More sophisticated equipment with long production times was sent through another mechanism – the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative – that purchased weapons directly from arms manufacturers for future delivery.
The US believes Ukraine will need at least $500 million worth of presidential drawdown authority per month through fiscal year 2025, according to a senior administration official.
Persons:
Sabrina Singh, Biden
Organizations:
CNN, US, Pentagon, Defense Department, Ukraine Security, Initiative
Locations:
Ukraine, Kyiv, Russia, Europe