WASHINGTON – Today, Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, and USAID Administrator Samantha Power sent a letter to Congress urging approval of the Biden Administration’s request to provide $11.8 billion in direct budget support to Ukraine as part of the President’s national security supplemental package comprising military, security, economic, and humanitarian assistance that aims to preserve U.S. national security interests at a time of global challenges.
Direct budget support to Ukraine is inextricably linked to its success on the battlefield in resisting Russia’s illegal invasion, by keeping the government and economy functioning and allowing Ukraine to focus its resources on its defense. This funding benefits from an unprecedented level of robust oversight and transparency, and is bolstered by significant budget support from the European Union, other G7 partners, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The full text of the letter can be found here and is available below.
The Honorable Mike Johnson
Speaker
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Charles Schumer
Majority Leader
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Hakeem Jeffries
Democratic Leader
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Republican Leader
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Speaker Johnson, Leader Schumer, Leader Jeffries, and Leader McConnell:
The U.S. Departments of Treasury, Defense, and State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) appreciate our continued engagement with Congress on the Administration’s National Security Supplemental Request for Fiscal Year 2024 intended to, among other vital things, help our ally Israel in its fight against Hamas and Ukraine in its existential defense against Putin’s brutal invasion. This comprehensive package, comprising military, security, economic, and humanitarian assistance, aims to preserve U.S. national security interests at a time of dire global crises.
Russia’s economic warfare, including attacks against Ukraine’s grain exports and energy infrastructure, is an integral part of its illegal invasion strategy. If Russia can destroy Ukraine’s economy, it will hobble the Ukrainian state to the point that it cannot defend itself on the battlefield. This aggression is not only an existential threat to Ukraine, but also a threat to global democracies and our own economic and national security. While our assistance—alongside that from the European Union, the G7, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF)—has helped the Ukrainian military and the Ukrainian people, Russia has bet that its aggression can outlast our collective resolve. We and our partners must continue to enable Ukraine’s self-defense, across multiple domains, including economic ones.
We want to draw your attention to how critical direct budget support is to Ukraine’s ability to defend itself.
We urge you to fully support the Administration’s request to provide $11.8 billion in direct budget support now to help Ukraine win the war, thereby advancing U.S. national security. A successful Ukraine will demonstrate the resolve of the United States and its partners to defend the territorial sovereignty and fundamental freedoms of democratic countries against authoritarian aggression. It will also create new economic opportunities for the people of Ukraine and its partners who stand by them against Russia’s violent invasion.
Sincerely,
Janet Yellen, Secretary of the Treasury
Lloyd J. Austin III, Secretary of Defense
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
Samantha Power, Administrator of United States Agency for International Development
cc:
The Honorable Kay Granger, Chair, House Committee on Appropriations
The Honorable Rosa DeLauro, Ranking Member, House Committee on Appropriations
The Honorable Patty Murray, Chair, Senate Committee on Appropriations
The Honorable Susan Collins, Vice Chair, Senate Committee on Appropriations
The Honorable Patrick McHenry, Chair, House Committee on Financial Services
The Honorable Maxine Waters, Ranking Member, House Committee on Financial Services
The Honorable Ben Cardin, Chair, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
The Honorable James E. Risch, Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
The Honorable Michael McCaul, Chair, House Committee on Foreign Affairs
The Honorable Gregory Meeks, Ranking Member, House Committee on Foreign Affairs
The Honorable Jack Reed, Chair, Senate Committee on Armed Services
The Honorable Roger Wicker, Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Armed Services
The Honorable Mike Rogers, Chair, House Committee on Armed Services
The Honorable Adam Smith, Ranking Member, House Committee on Armed Services
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