WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is expected to ask Congress for an additional $33 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine as officials anticipate the conflict stretching on for months to come.
The funding is to include $20 billion in military and security assistance, including weapons and ammunition for Ukraine and its allies in the region and money to replenish U.S. weapons stockpiles. The package would also include $8.5 billion for the government of Ukraine to respond to the country's humanitarian crisis, counter Russian disinformation and to continue to provide basic services to the Ukrainian people, said a senior administration official.
"The conflict has now entered a different phase, and one that is no less dangerous, as Russia shifts the focus of its assault to Ukraine's south and east," said the official. "As we've said, this fight could well last months or more. This conflict will continue to test our unity and our collective resolve to provide Ukraine what it needs."
The White House will also ask for an additional $3 billion in humanitarian assistance, including funding for refugees and efforts to address the global food shortages caused by the disruptions to Ukraine's agriculture sector.
Biden also intends to ask Congress for money to help increase U.S. crop production to address a global food shortage as the result of the war and resources to use the defense production act to boost U.S. production of critical minerals and materials that have been disrupted by the war.
Biden is expected to call on Congress to pass the new supplemental aid package for Ukraine during remarks Thursday from the White House.
The funding request, which is intended to last for the next five months, would be on top of the $13.6 billion in funds for military equipment and humanitarian assistance for Ukrainian refugees that Congress approved last month. Those funds have already been allocated, the White House has said.
Biden will also ask Congress for new Russia sanctions enforcement to strengthen U.S. authority to hold the Russian government and oligarchs accountable, the White House said.
"This package of proposals will establish new authorities for the forfeiture of property linked to Russian kleptocracy, allow the government to use the proceeds to support Ukraine, and further strengthen related law enforcement tools," it said in a preview of the plan.
The proposals aim to make it easier to seize oligarch assets, enable the transfer of money to Ukraine stemming from forfeited property and target property used to facilitate the evasion of sanctions. They also aim to improve the ability to work with international partners to recover assets linked to foreign corruption.