The war in Ukraine will likely cost the United States billions more in Pentagon funding in the near future.
Earlier this week, the White House submitted a supplemental funding request to Congress asking for $10 billion to support Ukraine. The proposal includes $4.8 billion in additional funds for the Department of Defense to cover the costs associated with the deployment of U.S. troops to European allies and to restock the supply of weapons provided to Ukraine.
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“The United States is committed to supporting the Ukrainian people as they defend their country and democracy,” acting Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young wrote in a statement outlining the request. “These resources will mean additional defense equipment for Ukraine, lifesaving humanitarian assistance — such as emergency food assistance — for the Ukrainian people, stronger sanctions enforcement, a dedicated task force led by the Department of Justice to go after the ill-gotten gains and other illicit activities of the Russian oligarchs, and additional support for U.S. troop deployments to neighboring countries.”
Democratic House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith acknowledged that he has “no doubt” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will result in a bigger-than-anticipated U.S. defense budget in the next fiscal year.
“Without question, it’s going to have to be bigger than we thought,” Smith said at an event hosted by the American Enterprise Institute on Thursday. “The Russian invasion of Ukraine fundamentally altered what our national security posture and what our defense posture needs to be. It made it more complicated, and it made it more expensive.”
Smith, who has been skeptical about the continually increasing defense budget, acknowledged that the war “changes it, and it’s going to go up. There’s no doubt about it.”
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U.S. and Western allies have tried to stay out of the war, considering Russia’s nuclear arsenal, though they have provided significant military resources to help Ukrainians defend themselves. Ukrainian forces in the north have fended off attacks as Russians sought to conquer Kyiv, the capital, while Russian troops have had more success in the southern parts of the country.
The United Nations, in its latest update, said 1.2 million Ukrainians have fled since the invasion began last week.
