Ukraine makes efforts to continue lend-lease program
14 August, 2023 Equipment of the US Army.
2017 year. Photo CREDITS: North Carolina National Guard Ukraine is working to ensure that the Lend-Lease Law remains the fourth instrument of possible assistance to Ukraine in 2024.
Oksana Markarova, Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States, said that Ukraine receives assistance from the United States under three main programs. For almost 17 months, the U.S. Congress has passed several budget amendments and allocated assistance to Ukraine, including three major military programs, totaling £113 billion.
"President Biden has submitted new budget amendments and additional funding for Ukraine. We really hope that we will be able to convince the Congress to support us and pass them, but if not, we cannot find ourselves in a situation where the United States will have no opportunity to provide us with weapons at all," said Oksana Markarova. Therefore, according to Markarova, it is important that the Lend-Lease Law, which expires at the end of September, remain the fourth instrument of possible assistance.
Oksana Markarova.
Photo credits: Suspilne
"Amendments to the NDA, the so-called military budget, have been submitted and were already considered in July. The amendment in the House of Representatives to extend the lend-lease for the whole of 2024 has already passed. In the Senate, it has been submitted, and we are waiting for the so-called conference between the House of Representatives and the Senate to decide on the synchronization of the two bills," she said.
The ambassador explained why it is important that the U.S. Congress extend the Lend-Lease Act. "At the moment, Ukraine does not buy the weapons allocated by the United States, but the budget rules are clear, so the Pentagon must have the authority to allocate weapons to us," said Oksana Markarova.
If these powers expire, then the next option is to sign rental or leasing agreements, apply the Lend-Lease Act, and receive the same benefits as in the PDA program of presidential allocations under this act. The co-authors of the Lend-Lease Act are now focusing on allocating additional budget funding, because it allows for more than just one program.
155 mm artillery shells. Photo credits: telegraph.co.uk
"It allows us not only to give everything that is available, but also to buy it for us.
Because we are already buying new Patriots, NASAMS, radars, all the kamikaze drones used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and missiles. For example, we used to get 155-caliber almost all from stocks, but now these stocks are not endless either. You have recently seen the Pentagon's announcement that the US wants to increase production of 155 caliber from 25-30 thousand per month to 80 thousand," Oksana Markarova said.
According to her, if there are discussions in Congress about aid and if they last for several months, there will be a break in funding: the previous funds will run out, and the next ones will have to wait.