WASHINGTON — A day after his latest hospitalization for health concerns following treatment for prostate cancer, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin hosted a virtual session on Ukraine to help provide urgently needed ammunition and artillery to Kiev as the country faces shortages in the now nearly two-year war with Russia. .
In his opening remarks to the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a regular meeting of about 50 member states that coordinate military assistance to Ukraine, Austin said Wednesday that he planned to be with the group in person, “but I had to return to the hospital.” for non-surgical procedures.”
“I am in good condition and my cancer prognosis remains excellent,” he said.
Austin led the virtual session from his home, where he is still recovering from complications from his December surgery to treat prostate cancer. Austin was released from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Monday after being treated for a bladder problem.
The Pentagon has run out of money to send weapons and ammunition to Ukraine since December. Since then, European allies have continued to send some support, but the loss of regular ammunition shipments to Ukraine has had consequences.
Austin said in his opening statement that the contact group would work Wednesday to address some of Ukraine’s most critical near-term needs, “including the urgent need for more artillery, ammunition and air defense missiles.”
It is not clear if or when Congress will reach a deal that would give the Pentagon additional money to resume regular munitions shipments to Ukraine’s front lines.
The Senate on Tuesday passed the latest version of a multibillion-dollar war funding package with some support from Republican senators, removing controversial border security language that has been a sticking point for conservative members hoping the scaled-down bill could gain Republican support in the country. the House.
But House Speaker Mike Johnson has already indicated that it could take weeks or months for Congress to send the legislation to President Joe Biden’s desk — if at all.
The Pentagon has argued that the financing package for Ukraine and Israel is also good for the US economy. War spending has pumped billions into the economy as the military ramps up domestic production of munitions and weapons systems to replenish its own stockpiles.
The $95.3 billion legislation includes $60 billion for Ukraine; $14 billion for Israel’s war with Hamas, $8 billion for Taiwan and partners in the Indo-Pacific to counter China, and $9.1 billion for humanitarian aid for Gaza and the West Bank, Ukraine and other populations are trapped in conflict zones around the world.