Lacking support from the US, Ukraine has spent $4 billion from its budget on armaments & ammunition

The Ukrainian government has now spent $4 billion on armaments due to the shortage of promised ammunition and weaponry by its partners, Ukraine's Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko reported.

Marchenko, along with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (via video link) and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, participated in the fifth ministerial roundtable of the World Bank and the IMF on April 17, in Washington.

Partners have assured Ukraine of their support and Marchenko expressed hope that this would materialize in concrete actions.

He emphasized Ukraine's difficult situation at the beginning of the year due to insufficient funding and armaments and added that effective policies have helped maintain financial stability.

"$4 billion is the amount the government has spent on armament procurement when promised ammunition and weaponry from partners were lacking," he said.

"This has (had) negative consequences for the budget."

He called on partners to expedite a solution to utilize frozen Russian assets for the benefit of Ukraine.

"For victory, it is critically important for us to equalize military resources with those of the aggressor," he said.

Blocking the Ukraine funding bill in the U.S. 

Republicans have been blocking the Ukraine aid bill since October 2023, initially citing the need to bolster U.S. immigration policy.

The U.S. Senate passed a bill on Feb. 13 providing $95 billion in aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, with $60 billion allocated to Ukraine.

House Speaker Mike Johnson criticized the Senate proposal and refused to submit it for consideration.

He said he would bring the aid extension to a vote “in a timely manner,” noting the urgent need for aid to Ukraine after a meeting with President Joe Biden on Feb. 28.

Biden emphasized the "urgent need" to assist Ukraine during the meeting with congressional leaders from both parties.

Speakers of 23 parliaments and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola appealed to Johnson on Feb. 28 to consider the bill.

The next day, he announced that the House of Representatives would not take up the issue of providing aid to Ukraine until the U.S. government receives funding.

Johnson advised Republicans to prepare a proposal to at least partially convert military aid for Ukraine into a loan, Politico reported on March 19,

The U.S. House of Representatives approved a $1.2 trillion funding package for government agencies on March 22, while the Senate passed the same package on March 23, leading President Biden to sign it and call on the House to pass a bill supporting Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.

The Ukraine aid bill would be brought to a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives immediately after the Easter recess, which lasts in the States until April 9, Republican Congressman Don Bacon said on March 31.

Mike Johnson announced on April 1 that the Ukraine Aid bill would include significant new provisions, such as providing aid as loans, instead of grants.

Johnson introduced four separate bills regarding funding for U.S. aid to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and other national security priorities on April 15.

The House of Representatives website published the text of a bill on military aid for Ukraine on April 17, including $60 billion and ATACMS missiles.

House Speaker Mike Johnson announced on the same day that he would bring the bill on funding for Ukraine to a vote on Saturday, April 20.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine