US Aid Fund Dwindles As Ukraine Prepares For Counteroffensive

Politico has reported that there is only USD$6 remaining of the USD$48 billion Ukraine aid package passed at the end of last year potentially, “teeing up a Congressional battle over more assistance by the middle of the summer.”

• According to Politico, "There’s broad support for Ukraine in Congress — but there’s also a faction of conservative opposition to more aid that’s grown since the last approval in December," and the risk of a confrontation over aid is compounded by the ongoing political standoff over the US debt limit.
• Politico reports that an administration official said the White House is discussing a new Ukraine package to keep aid flowing and stating that the administration is ‘fully committed’ to supporting Kyiv during and after the fight ‘for the long haul.’
• Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) told Pentagon officials leaders during a Congressional hearing on Thursday: “It is critical that the administration provide Ukraine with what it needs in time to defend and take back its sovereign territory. We expect the administration not to wait until the eleventh hour if the Ukrainians need more before the end of the fiscal year.”