Ukraine funding will run out by end of year, White House warns

'We are out of money — and nearly out of time,' US official says in letter to leaders in Congress

Office of Management and Budget director Shalanda Young warned Congress that the US is running out of money to support Ukraine's war efforts. AP

The White House on Monday issued an urgent call to the US Congress to approve more military aid to Ukraine, saying money would run out by the end of the year, which would “kneecap” Kyiv's efforts to push back Russia's invasion.

In a letter addressed to House and Senate leaders, White House director of the Office of Management and Budget Shalanda Young urged Congress to approve a supplemental funding request submitted by President Joe Biden back in October.

“I want to be clear: without congressional action, by the end of the year, we will run out of resources to procure more weapons and equipment for Ukraine and to provide equipment from US military stocks,” Ms Young said in the letter.

“There is no magical pot of funding available to meet this moment. We are out of money – and nearly out of time.”

The letter comes as congressional Republicans – whose resistance to funding Kyiv's war efforts has been steadily growing in recent months – have prevented Mr Biden from passing a $105 billion bill for Ukraine and Israel aid.

Mr Biden and White House officials have argued that supporting Kyiv in fending off Russia's aggression is critical for US interests and national security.

Republicans in Congress have made funding for Ukraine conditional, with the Biden administration urged to do more to halt the flow of migrants coming through the US-Mexico border.

"Congress has to decide whether to continue to support the fight for freedom in Ukraine as part of the 50-nation coalition that President Biden has built, or whether Congress will ignore the lessons we've learnt from history," White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said during a news briefing on Monday.

"Congress has to act now to take supplemental requests, which advances our own national security and helps our democratic partner in Ukraine fight against Russian aggression."

So far, Congress already has allocated $111 billion to assist Ukraine, which has included $67 billion in military funding.

Ms Young wrote that the Pentagon had used 97 per cent of the $62.3 billion it received as of mid-November, and the State Department has used all of the $4.7 billion in military assistance it received.

“We are out of money to support Ukraine in this fight,” Ms Young wrote.

“This isn’t a next year problem. The time to help a democratic Ukraine fight against Russian aggression is right now. It is time for Congress to act.”

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  An explosion in the sky over Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, during a Russian drone strike on Saturday. Reuters

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  A kindergarten damaged during the drone strikes in Kyiv. EPA

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  Ukraine said it downed 71 of 75 drones launched by Russia in an overnight attack. EPA

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  Kyiv authorities described the attack as the most intense on the capital since the start of the invasion. EPA

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  A police officer inspects a kindergarten damaged during the strikes in Kyiv. EPA

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  The attack came as Ukrainians marked the 1932-33 Holodomor famine, a national tragedy. EPA

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  A man shakes out a blanket from a window broken during the explosions. EPA

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  An elderly woman sweeps glass broken from windows in her flat after the explosion of a downed Russian drone in a yard between residential buildings in Kyiv. AFP

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  Residents remove debris after the explosion of a downed Russian drone. AFP

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  The victims of the Holodomor, Ukrainian for 'death by starvation', are traditionally commemorated in Ukraine on the last Saturday of November. EPA

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  The Holodomor in the former Soviet-era Ukraine in 1932-1933, killed millions of Ukrainians. EPA