Drought in Military Aid to Ukraine Enters Uncharted Territory
It has been 120 days since the last drawdown of weapons from Pentagon stockpiles was announced, outstripping Speaker Mike Johnson’s hold on Ukraine aid more than a year ago.
For more than 1,000 days, President Joseph R. Biden Jr. kept up a regular drumbeat of military support for Ukraine, sending hundreds of howitzers with millions of shells for them to fire, tens of thousands of guided artillery rockets, and advanced air-defense missile systems to help hold Russian invaders at bay.
During all that time, the question was not whether the U.S. would send more weapons, but how advanced would they be, and how far could they reach into Russia?
The exception to that rule was a 119-day period that began in December 2023, when Speaker Mike Johnson prevented a vote on more aid for Ukraine in the House of Representatives. That move nearly led to catastrophe for Ukraine as its troops began to run out of ammunition, prompting outrage from the White House, some members of Congress and the public.
Friday marks another grim milestone for Ukraine — the 120th day since the last new aid package was announced on Jan. 8, outstripping the length of Mr. Johnson’s devastating hold.
At the Pentagon there is silence. In contrast, during the Biden administration there were press briefings just days or weeks apart announcing arms shipments worth hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars each.
After Pete Hegseth became defense secretary in late January, his office promised to be “the most transparent Department of Defense in history,” but there has been only one Pentagon briefing for reporters during the Trump administration’s first 100 days.