(Dan Tri) – US media said that the country’s military needs at least 6.5 billion USD to compensate for the weapons reserves it has provided to Ukraine.

A shipment of military aid from the US arrives at Boryspil airport on the outskirts of Kiev (Photo: Al Jazeera).

According to a document observed by Bloomberg news agency, the US Department of Defense has asked Congress to allocate at least $6.5 billion to replenish stockpiles that have been depleted after two years of continuously transferring weapons to the US.

The Pentagon emphasized urgency and listed priority spending in supplemental proposals sent to Congress last month, Bloomberg reported.

The procurement list is said to include a variety of weapons, ammunition and key components for the production of 155mm artillery shells, HARM anti-radar missiles, Patriot interceptors, GMLRS missiles and TOW anti-tank missiles.

While the Pentagon estimated an immediate additional budget of $6.5 billion, many US media outlets reported earlier this week that the US would need at least $10 billion.

Unless the shortfall is filled, this `gap` will strain the US military, a source told Politico.

Washington provided more than $75 billion in cash and equipment to Ukraine as of the end of last year to counter Russia, far exceeding other Western donors.

Most recently, on March 12, the US announced the first aid package for Ukraine since December last year, also the first package of 2024 with a value of 300 million USD.

This is a turnaround effort by the Pentagon after they discovered some cost savings in military contracts, leading to more money to urgently transfer weapons to Ukraine.

This is just a small aid package, helping Ukraine relieve its `thirst` for ammunition in a short time.

NATO intelligence estimates that Russia plans to produce 3 million artillery shells this year, while both the US and EU set a goal of producing 1 million artillery shells to aid Ukraine.

Experts predict that ammunition potential will be an important variable that has a strong impact on the outcome of the war, which has entered its third year. Whichever side is able to maintain firepower longer will gain a great advantage.

In the latest developments, US House Speaker Mike Johnson told Republican senators on March 14 that the House will soon send a bill on additional aid to Ukraine to the Senate after weeks of delay.

Mr. Johnson mentioned the idea of aid in the form of loans or leasing programs to ensure that Americans do not spend tens of billions of dollars without getting anything in return.

He also mentioned the idea of allowing frozen Russian assets to be confiscated and the proceeds from liquidated assets to be deposited into a fund to support Ukraine.