The Pentagon announced on Wednesday that it transferred thousands of seized Iranian weapons and over 1 million rounds of ammunition to Ukraine to bolster Ukraine's defense amid potential aid delays due to congressional clashes.
On Monday, a transfer of resources was executed to bolster Kyiv's military efforts in breaking through Russia's defensive positions before winter. Funding for Ukraine has become entangled in political discord within the House, as a faction of hard-line Republican members opposes any further assistance to the conflict, Politico reported.
The delivery of 1.1 million 7.62 mm rounds to the Ukrainian armed forces has been in the planning stages for several months, as confirmed by U.S. Central Command spokesperson Capt. Abigail Hammock.
U.S. Navy forces initially confiscated the munitions, compatible with AK-47 rifles, from an unregistered dhow vessel on Dec. 9. The dhow was transporting the munitions from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to the Houthi rebels in Yemen, stated in an official statement reported by CNN.
Subsequently, on July 20, the U.S. government secured possession of these munitions via civil forfeiture claims pursued by the Department of Justice against the IRGC.
"The U.S. is committed to working with our allies and partners to counter the flow of Iranian lethal aid in the region by all lawful means, including U.S. and U.N. sanctions and through interdictions," the statement said.
Over the weekend, legislators approved a stopgap spending measure to prevent a government shutdown until mid-November, but it did not include financial aid for Ukraine.
According to Deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh, an allocation of $5.4 billion in funding authority remains to facilitate the provision of weaponry to Ukraine. However, the available funds for replenishing the Pentagon's stocks stand at a reduced $1.6 billion. Singh cautioned that without further congressional authorization for additional funding, this resource will be depleted.
"We have enough funding authorities to meet Ukraine's battlefield needs for just a little bit longer, but we need Congress to act to ensure there is no disruption in our support," Singh said.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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