'No Other Way Around It':  State Dept Urges Congress Pass Ukraine Aid 'As Soon As Possible'

The Biden administration on Friday once again urged the Congress to pass Ukraine supplemental "as soon as possible," TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

"There’s no other way around it: the House must pass the supplemental as soon as possible to allow us to continue to send vital security assistance to Ukraine, replenish the U.S. military’s munition stocks, and invest in our industrial base, supporting jobs in 40 states across our country," a State Department official told TURAN's Washington correspondent.

The official reminded that on March 12, the U.S. "continued to demonstrate its enduring commitment to Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s brutal aggression with the announcement of additional arms and equipment under previous drawdowns to help Ukraine defend its territory and protect its people."

"The $300 million in capabilities in this announcement will be provided under drawdowns previously directed under section 506(a)(1) of the FAA, of which $126 million would be provided in conjunction with section 614(a)(1) of the FAA, to supply Ukraine’s forces with munitions, weapons, and equipment needed to defend their country against Russia’s continuing aggression," the officials said.

The U.S. has provided approximately $44.2 billion in military assistance since Russia launched its premeditated, unprovoked, and brutal full-scale invasion against Ukraine on Feb 24, 2022, and more than $47 billion in military assistance since Russia’s initial invasion of Ukraine in 2014.