Gridlock in Congress prevented the Pentagon from replenishing $10 billion in equipment it sent to Ukraine, and the deficit could affect the readiness of U.S. military forces, according to a report.
"We have not been able to, with the funding we have to date — and there's a big funding piece waiting in the supplemental — replenish everything we've already given to Ukraine," a senior Pentagon official told Politico. "So, it would come back on our own readiness on our own stockpile to a certain extent if we can't get new funding."
The Pentagon said in December that it wouldn't be able to send new weapons to Ukraine until Congress approved a supplemental funding request by President Joe Biden that initially tied aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan to funds for border security. But that bipartisan deal reached in the Senate collapsed, and lawmakers have since been debating on more than $60 billion in standalone aid to Ukraine.
Politico reported this is the first time officials have acknowledged that the U.S. is in a $10 billion hole in replenishing its stocks.
The Pentagon on Monday unveiled an $849.8 billion budget proposal for the 2025 fiscal year, even though Congress has yet to pass appropriations for the current fiscal year. The Pentagon is operating under a continuing resolution that freezes spending at last year's levels and prevents the start of new programs.
The senior official urged lawmakers to pass the legislation, saying a failure to do so will cost Ukraine dearly, Politico reported.
"They are low on ammunition today," the official said. "They are fighting and dying today. If we can't help them, there isn't another industrial base on the planet that can really take our place."
In addition to the money spent on Ukraine, the Pentagon is waiting on funds to pay for the U.S. military buildup in the Middle East since Iranian-backed Hamas' Oct. 7 attack in Israel, Politico reported. The Pentagon has spent $1.6 billion through January, and it estimated the cost will rise to $2.2 billion if sustained for a full year.
The price does not cover the munitions needed to take out drones and missiles aimed at Navy ships and commercial vessels in the Red Sea by Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.