Congress

White House seeks $3.5 billion for Pentagon in Ukraine response package

By Joe Gould

 Feb 26, 10:48 AM

People rest in the Kyiv subway, using it as a bomb shelter in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. Russia has launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, unleashing airstrikes on cities and military bases and sending troops and tanks from multiple directions in a move that could rewrite the world's geopolitical landscape. (Emilio Morenatti/AP)

WASHINGTON ― The White House told Congress it will need $6.4 billion in new funding to respond to Russia’s war on Ukraine, including $3.5 billion for the Pentagon and another $2.9 billion to support Eastern European allies with security assistance and humanitarian aid.

The proposed $2.9 billion would be for Ukraine, Baltic countries, Poland and other affected countries and would pay for food, energy and economic assistance, as well as resources to counter Russian cyberattacks and disinformation.

Any new funds would be in addition to the $650 million in security aid and $52 million in humanitarian aid the U.S. already pledged to Ukraine over the last year as well as a prior $1 billion sovereign loan guarantee.

The proposal followed a meeting between Biden administration budget officials and congressional House and Senate leaders as well as lawmakers on key committees, Bloomberg reported.

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said Friday he would work with the Biden administration and across the aisle to “provide the necessary resources to respond to this unwarranted conflict, particularly to address the humanitarian crisis that is sure to escalate in the wake of Russian aggression.”

“The United States government needs to provide the necessary resources to support our allies and assist the innocent people caught in the middle of this needless calamity,” Leahy said in a statement.