The Pentagon is prepared to quickly send Ukraine military equipment if Congress approves the aid bill that is scheduled for a vote this weekend, Politico reported on April 19, citing sources.
After months of delays, House Speaker Mike Johnson said on April 17 that he would move forward with votes in Congress on a series of foreign aid bills for Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan. The vote is scheduled for April 20.
The bill passed an important procedural step on April 19, overcoming Republican opposition and allowing the vote to go ahead.
Unnamed U.S. defense officials told Politico that the Pentagon was already preparing a package of military assistance in the hopes that the bill would be passed.
According to one of the officials, some of the proposed military equipment is located in Europe and could reach Ukraine within days after a successful vote, while other material would likely take a few weeks.
The officials said that the arms deliveries would include artillery and air defenses.
The sped-up timeline was echoed by Pentagon spokesperson General Pat Ryder in comments at a press conference on April 18.
The U.S. has a "very robust logistics network that enables us to move materiel very quickly," Ryder said.
"We certainly understand and appreciate the urgency and are poised to move quickly," he added.
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