White House's $61.4 bln aid package to Ukraine requested from U.S. Congress includes $46.1 bln for defense, $11.8 bln for state budget - ambassador

MOSCOW. Oct 23 (Interfax) - The White House's budget request seeking the allocation of $61.4 billion in funding for Ukraine or funding associated with Ukraine, which was submitted to the U.S. Congress on October 20, provides for $46.1 billion in defense expenditures and $11.8 billion in direct budget support, Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova said.

"According to the standard division into three usual categories, the main demand figures are as follows: defense expenses $46.1 billion, $11.8 billion to provide direct budget support to Ukraine," Ukrainian media quoted Markarova as saying in a social mend post.

A total of $30.6 billion out of $46.1 billion in defense spending is allocated for the U.S. Department of Defense's programs, in particular $18 billion for replenishing defense stockpiles from the U.S. Department of Defense warehouses, reimbursing defense and military education and training services provided to the Ukrainian government and $12 billion for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which includes $1.7 billion for the U.S. State Department's Foreign Military Financing program for Ukraine and other U.S. partners and $14.4 billion for technical and intelligence support, as well as increased weapons production and cyber security, Markarova said.

As for economic, financial, civil and nuclear security, it includes $2.2 billion to support urgent restoration needs and development of programs in Ukraine and other regional countries, $360 million to the U.S. Department of State to back the Ukrainian government in restoring and supporting the rule of law, $100 million to the U.S. Department of State for non-proliferation programs, counterterrorism, mining and related programs, and $149.5 million to the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration for nuclear security assistance programs in addition to $11.8 billion in budget support, she said.

The request specifies that the allocated $11.8 billion would provide 12 more months of direct budget support for Ukraine, with a smooth transition from $1.1 billion per month to $825 million per month. This funds will be given through the World Bank to reimburse approved and verified expenditures of the Ukrainian government. The funding request is based on the International Monetary Fund's latest estimate of Ukraine's shortfall in funding in 2024 and U.S. assumptions on a reliable burden sharing among the European Union, Japan, and other donors, the statement said.

As for humanitarian aid, the Uniting for Ukraine program to support Ukrainians arriving in the U.S. is in place, Markarova said.

The White House's total budget request is for $105 billion and includes aid to Israel and other partners, she said. The package also includes general humanitarian aid items under which the distribution among the countries has yet to be completed, she said. In particular, this deals with $3.5 billion through the U.S. State Department's programs for Ukraine and Israel, as well as for the regions affected by the situation in Israel and Ukraine, and $5.7 billion to fund the U.S. Agency for International Development programs to meet the growing humanitarian needs caused by the Ukrainian crisis, the outbreak of the conflict in Gaza, and the regional and global impact of these crises.

"It's important to understand that in American budget legislation, demand is an administration's vision, and analyzing the numbers is worth it when that vision becomes the very budget document within Congress," Markarova said.