US President Joe Biden's administration intends to urgently allocate the remaining six billion dollars military aid to Ukraine before the possible inauguration of the new head of state, Donald Trump, Politico reports, citing sources cited by Focus.
The White House is worried that supplies could be cut off completely when the government changes. "The first thing Trump is going to do is cut aid,” warned Jim Townsend, former Pentagon spokesman for NATO and Europe during Barack Obama's tenure.
Implementation of the plan, however, faces serious technical challenges. Even announcing the aid now does not guarantee immediate delivery, as the physical transfer of weapons takes months. This creates a risk that part of the supply will be blocked by the new administration even before it arrives in Ukraine.
One of the main obstacles to the rapid delivery of aid is that the US can only send weapons that are already in stockpiles. While the funds will reimburse the Pentagon for these costs, the key is how quickly new artillery shells and weapons can be produced or new contracts awarded.
"We send every month everything that the industry can produce, but the problem is that these deliveries can only take place when they are produced,“ said Mark Kancian, a former Pentagon budget official. According to him, accelerated supplies through the US reserves will strain the combat readiness of US forces.