For the Joe Biden administration from hell, ‘America last’ is a mantra that pervades every aspect of government.
When it comes to National Defense, it isn’t any different.
That’s why it isn’t surprising that the Pentagon will rush about $300 million in weapons to Ukraine after finding some’surprise’ cost savings in its contracts – despite the fact that the US military itself is deeply overdrawn and needs at least $10 billion to replenish all the inventory it has pulled from its stocks to help Kiev.
Associated Press reported:
“It’s the Pentagon’s first announced security package for Ukraine since December when it acknowledged it was out of replenishment funds. It wasn’t until recent days that officials publicly acknowledged they weren’t just out of money to buy replacement weapons, they were $10 billion overdrawn.”
The Pentagon can’t give any more weapons away until Congress provides the additional replenishment funds.
“The replenishment funds have allowed the Pentagon to pull existing munitions, air defense systems, and other weapons from its reserve inventories under presidential drawdown authority, or PDA, to send to Ukraine and then sign contracts to order replacements, which are needed to maintain U.S. military readiness.
[…] ‘When Russian troops advance and its guns fire, Ukraine does not have enough ammunition to fire back,” said national security adviser Jake Sullivan in announcing the $300 million in additional aid’.”
The ‘cost savings’ in some of those longer-term contracts offset the new package and keep replenishment spending underwater at $10 billion.
“One of the officials said the package represented a ‘one time shot’ — unless Congress passes the supplemental spending bill, which includes roughly $60 billion in military aid for Ukraine, or more cost savings are found. It is expected to include anti-aircraft missiles, artillery rounds, and armor systems, the official said.
‘This is not a sustainable way to support Ukraine’, said Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, calling it a ‘one-time good deal’ that officials can’t plan on occurring again.”
This is the second time in nine months that the Pentagon has ‘found’ money for Ukraine.
The US has committed more than $44.2 billion since the beginning of the war in February 2022.
via thegatewaypundit