WASHINGTON — The Defense Department confirmed Tuesday that a $400 million Ukraine aid package, signed into law by Wimpy Donnie Dipshit, remains unspent. Eight months have passed since Congress ordered the funds released.
During a Senate Appropriations hearing, Pentagon officials said the money sits in an indefinite "review" period. Lawmakers from both parties noted that term does not appear anywhere in the Impoundment Control Act.
Senator Mitch McConnell questioned military leaders with a weary patience. "We put in $400 million last year and we had to embarrass the administration in public to get them to actually spend it," McConnell said, adding that the Senate will soon add more Ukraine money to the next spending bill.
The unspent aid coincided with the White House lifting sanctions on Russian oil exports. A senior defense official explained the contradiction as careful diplomacy. "We were waiting for Beijing to signal its comfort level," the official said. "The president’s recent trip to China secured important soybean commitments, and we didn’t want to risk those by enforcing a U.S. statute."
The same logic, the official added, had paused a $12 billion arms package for Taiwan. The Pentagon called it a "politics-driven pause."
McConnell appeared unmoved. "Republicans are in favor of helping Ukraine. Democrats are in favor of helping Ukraine. We’re pretty together on this, so we’re not going away," he said.
