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Saturday, February 26, 2022
Biden administration wants $6.4b for US response in Ukraine
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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration wants Congress to provide $6.4 billion to pay for an initial US response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, largely for military and humanitarian assistance in the region, three people familiar with the request said Friday.
The largest portions of money would be for the Defense and State departments and for the US Agency for International Development, which distributes civilian foreign aid. Smaller amounts would be for the Treasury and Commerce departments, whose chief roles in the Ukraine crisis will be to apply sanctions against Russia, its financial institutions, and state-owned businesses and its leaders, including President Vladimir Putin.
The request, which White House and other administration officials described to congressional aides in a conference call Friday, provides an early look at the costs American taxpayers could bear as a result of Russia’s attack on its western neighbor. Those assaults were in their second full day Friday as Russian forces pounded Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital.
The administration is seeking $2.9 billion for State Department, USAID, and other programs for security assistance to Ukraine, Poland, the Baltic nations and other Eastern European allies, an administration official said. It would also cover food and other humanitarian assistance, energy and economic aid plus efforts to thwart Russian cyberattacks.
The administration official said there would also be $3.5 billion for the Defense Department but provided no detail. The sums could change based on events in Ukraine and the needs of allied countries, the people describing the phone call said.
All three people spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it publicly.
The Times of Israel Community.