The Pentagon approved another $1.7 billion in weapons for Ukraine on Friday.
Why does some aide need Congressional approval and some can just be handed over? Political dealing is the answer. Some of the money comes from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) and the rest uses Presidential Drawdown Authority, which allows President Biden to ship weapons to Ukraine directly from Pentagon stockpiles.
The aide that comes through USAI could take months to be delivered though. The weapons will include air defense systems, ammunition for HIMARS rocket systems, artillery shells, and more. The Pentagon says that the U.S. has committed $56.1 billion in aid to Ukraine since President Biden took office. A possible Harris administration would keep that going despite a record U.S. debt. (See News By the Numbers)
