Biden Asks Congress For New $13.7B In Ukraine Funding To Ramp Up Pressure On Russia

The White House on Friday asked Congress to approve additional $13.7 billion to address Russia’s continued war in Ukraine as part of a short-term funding bill, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

The Biden administration is requesting that lawmakers authorize both security and economic assistance for Ukraine as well as funding to help shore up domestic energy supplies to offset impacts of the war on the global energy market, according to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

“We have rallied the world to support the people of Ukraine to defend their democracy and we simply cannot allow that support to Ukraine to run dry,” an administration official told reporters when previewing the request Friday afternoon. 

Per a summary from the OMB, $13.7 billion request includes:

- $4.5 billion for equipment

- $2.7 billion for military, intelligence and other defense support

- $4.5 billion for direct budget support to Ukraine

- $1.5 billion for “uranium to fuel US nuclear reactors to offset a potential decrease in Russian supplies and $500 million for modernizing the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to reduce domestic energy costs and ensure sustainable access to energy resources.”

The White House says that the funds are necessary to sustain the pace of aid to Ukraine for the first 3 months of fiscal 2023, which begins at the start of October.

The request came as lawmakers are set to return to Washington, DC next week, after the August recess and the Congress is expected to pass a continuing resolution to fund the government on a short-term basis to allow lawmakers more time to reach an agreement on a larger funding measure.

Alex Raufoglu

Washington D.C.