CNN
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US army assist and coaching for Ukrainian forces might be disrupted within the occasion of a US authorities shutdown, a Pentagon spokesperson warned on Tuesday.
The Pentagon will nonetheless be capable of entry tools from its personal stockpiles, which is the place the vast majority of tools despatched to Ukraine comes from, within the occasion of a shutdown, on condition that the division nonetheless has billions of {dollars}’ price of funding remaining underneath the Presidential Drawdown Authority.
However the supply of that tools, in addition to the US’ ongoing coaching of Ukrainian forces, “might be impacted by furloughs of personnel and DoD’s suspension” of all actions deemed not important to US nationwide safety within the occasion of a shutdown, Pentagon spokesperson Chris Sherwood mentioned Tuesday.
Any affect on US help would come at a delicate time within the battle with Ukrainian troops within the midst of a vital counteroffensive towards Russia.
Politico first reported on Sherwood’s feedback.
A shutdown might additionally affect the supply and execution of assist supplied underneath one other program, referred to as the Ukraine Safety Help Initiative, which has funded the manufacturing of key tools like Abrams tanks and coaching packages like F-16 pilot instruction. The US is ready to start delivering 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine within the coming weeks and expects to start offering Ukrainian pilots with F-16-related language coaching “quickly,” Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Charlie Dietz mentioned on Monday.
“Work or supply of any tools funded on earlier USAI notifications equivalent to F-16 pilot coaching would proceed, however execution might be impacted by furloughs and DoD’s suspension of non-excepted actions,” Sherwood mentioned.
The Pentagon would additionally not be capable of ink any new contracts with protection firms to provide extra tools underneath USAI within the occasion of a shutdown.
“The Division has notified all out there USAI funding, so no new USAI notifications can happen till extra appropriations are enacted,” Sherwood mentioned.
The Pentagon issued steering final week on how the US army will proceed to function within the occasion of a shutdown, and whereas missions and features not deemed vital to US nationwide safety will halt, Secretary of Protection Lloyd Austin can “at any time” make exceptions to that coverage.
The US authorities seems to be barreling towards a shutdown, as Democratic and Republican lawmakers have acknowledged that there is not going to be sufficient time earlier than the September 30 deadline for both chamber to go all 12 appropriations payments. As an alternative, the Home and Senate must discover a short-term repair to permit them extra time to barter, however it’s unclear whether or not they may be capable of do this.
