DOD ready to rush critically needed weapon systems to Ukraine

The Defense Department stands ready to rush crucial supplies to Ukraine if Congress passes the supplemental request promptly, Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said.

The general would not speculate on congressional approval of the supplemental request, but he said from a DOD standpoint, "what we're focused on right now is ensuring that we can get Ukraine the assistance that it needs. We're focused on working with international allies and partners to ensure that Ukraine gets what it needs, not only in the near term, but also for the long term."

The general said mechanisms remain in place to speed supplies to Ukraine. "The Ukrainians have demonstrated their resilience and their courage under fire; we have no reason to think that that's going to change," he said. "But we also understand the dire situation they are in right now, which is why, again, we'd like very much to see the supplemental pass."

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said much the same thing during testimony alongside Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.

Passage of the request would signal to the world that the United States stands by its friends, Ryder said. "If approved, the funding request will provide essential aid to our partners in Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific," he said. "[It] would provide nearly $60 billion for the Department of Defense with about $50 billion of that sum flowing through the nation's defense industrial base [and], in turn, creating American jobs in over 30 states.

"Immediate passage of the supplemental remains the most important thing Congress could do to assist our warfighters in defending our country and enabling DOD to support our allies and partners, like Israel and Ukraine," he continued. 

Ryder also announced that Austin will participate in a virtual NATO-Ukraine Council meeting. "The secretary and his fellow defense ministers will discuss the international efforts and Ukraine's pressing needs to include air defense and artillery," he said.

"The meetings underscore the unwavering commitment of the United States and the international community to support the people of Ukraine, as they continue to fight for freedom and [to] protect their sovereignty from Russian aggression," Ryder said.

The general said if Congress passes the aid package, the department is poised to respond quickly using presidential drawdown authority. "We have a very robust logistics network that enables us to move material very quickly; as we've done in the past, we can move within days," he said. 

While he would not go into details, the general said the package will include crucial capabilities like artillery ammunition and air defense weapons.