Pentagon calls on Congress to approve aid to Ukraine, Israel as soon as possible

It is important for U.S. national security that Congress pass President Joe Biden's supplemental funding request, which includes aid to Ukraine and Israel, as soon as possible.

Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said this at a briefing on Thursday, November 16, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"We also urge Congress to pass our supplemental funding requests that would allow us to keep supporting Ukraine and Israel, providing lifesaving humanitarian assistance across the globe and making critical investments in the Indo-Pacific," she said.

She added that the supplemental funding would also be an investment in the U.S. defense industrial base. In addition, this will help replenish the Pentagon's stocks of weapons that were provided earlier in the form of foreign aid.

The supplemental budget request will meet the U.S.'s national security needs, Singh said.

In this context, she specified that the U.S. Department of Defense currently has only $4.9 billion to use in the form of PDA (Presidential Drawdown Authority) packages. In addition, there is about $1.1 left to replenish the Pentagon's own reserves.

According to Singh, more funds will be needed to support Ukraine, which is why the U.S. administration has submitted a request to Congress.

"We know that Ukraine continues to endeavor in its counter-offensive and they need continued support on a regular basis. So we know that we have to do that. We know that we have to continue to meet their needs," she said.

She said that this issue would definitely be discussed at the next meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. The Pentagon will officially announce the date for the meeting in the next few days, Singh added.