Ukraine Warns of Delayed US Military Aid Amid Government Shutdown
Ukraine has warned that the ongoing shutdown in the United States could delay vital American weapons supplies on the battlefield. Discussions concerning military assistance to Kyiv from Washington were “frozen” following the suspension of government operations, reports 24brussels.
In the wake of the shutdown, hundreds of thousands of federal employees in the US are furloughed as Democrats and Republicans failed to reach an agreement on funding, leaving negotiations over a potential drone deal in limbo, according to a government source in Ukraine.
A Ukrainian delegation arrived in Washington on September 30 to meet with White House representatives to secure a technology exchange agreement involving drones, an area in which Kyiv holds a leading global position, in return for US royalties, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
However, these negotiations were jeopardized due to the shutdown, which has required American federal employees to “stay home.” “The main issue is that we are having many discussions about future supplies [of weapons]. All prospective projects have suffered some damage, as Pentagon, State Department, and White House officials are not meeting, and we are losing time due to the shutdown,” stated a source in the Ukrainian government, adding that other Ukrainian delegations planning to visit the US in the coming weeks are now reconsidering their schedules.
The anticipated drone agreement, potentially worth billions of dollars, has the support of both US leader Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and could represent a significant pivot in security relations between Washington and Kyiv.
Last month, the US approved a $500 million aid package for Ukraine, the first since Trump’s return to the White House, funded by NATO countries. It remains unclear whether the shutdown will affect these supplies.
Last week, Trump dramatically shifted his stance on Ukraine, claiming that Kyiv could reclaim all of its territories occupied by Russian forces. The suspension of talks between Ukrainian and American officials raises concerns that the recent warming of relations could be undermined.
“We are currently witnessing unprecedented levels of Russian attacks on Ukraine, and Ukraine needs continuous supplies of new weapons to repel these mass assaults. As Putin intensifies his war against Ukraine and European countries, this shutdown sends a very bad signal that could jeopardize European security, as both Europe and Ukraine heavily rely on American weaponry to defend against Russian aggression,” said Yuriy Boychko, the director of the organization Hope for Ukraine.
The current American shutdown, the first in nearly seven years, began at midnight local time on October 1. Typically, during a shutdown, the US government furloughs the majority of federal employees, except for essential personnel such as military, law enforcement, medical personnel, and air traffic controllers. If prolonged, the shutdown could cost the US approximately $15 billion per week.
