“The US Shutdown and Arms for Ukraine: What’s Really Happening with the Supply Chain
3 October 21:17
The United States has been under a government shutdown since October 1, a temporary suspension of federal agencies due to the failure of Congress to pass a budget. This has raised fears that the shutdown could affect military aid to Ukraine, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
However, Kyiv assures that cooperation with Washington continues.
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhiy Tykhyi said that negotiations on a joint agreement on drones are going according to plan, and that the supply of American weapons has not stopped.
“This is not true. Negotiations between Ukraine and the United States on a drone deal are going according to plan, and deliveries continue to arrive,” he wrote on social media site X.
Why it matters
Publications in the Western media, including The Telegraph, have fueled rumors of possible delays in the delivery of the weapons. Ukraine, on the other hand, is trying to reassure both its domestic audience and partners by emphasizing the stability of cooperation despite the political crisis in the United States.
What is known about the “shutdown”
- on September 30, the U.S. Senate failed to vote on a stopgap resolution to fund federal agencies.
- As a result, some government agencies have been closed since October 1.
- The next meeting of Congress on this issue is expected on October 3.
The situation looks particularly sensitive for Ukraine, as the continuous supply of arms and ammunition remains critical in the war.
Negotiations on drones
on October 2, NSDC Secretary Rustem Umerov reported that the Ukrainian delegation to the United States held talks with the Pentagon, Congress, and the US military. They discussed
- the sale of some Ukrainian drones to the United States,
- joint modernization,
- development of new platforms.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously stated that the agreement with the United States could provide for the production of up to 10 million drones per year.
As a reminder, in August, the White House officially confirmed another aid package to Ukraine worth more than $2.5 billion, which includes Patriot missiles, ammunition, and drones.
In 2023-2024, there have been repeated concerns that internal political disputes in the United States could affect the amount of support for Ukraine.
At the same time, Congress has previously confirmed that military assistance to Kyiv is a priority, even despite temporary budget blockages.
