In a recent announcement, the White House cautioned that the upcoming aid package scheduled for Ukraine later this month will be the final one unless Congress approves additional assistance. The aid provided to Ukraine thus far has been crucial in its resistance against Russia's invasion, and National Security Council spokesman John Kirby emphasized that the country still requires assistance.

The warning from the White House came after the comptroller of the Department of Defense, Mike McCord, penned a letter to Congress, highlighting that all remaining funding under the department's replenishment authority allocated for Ukraine had been fully allocated. The letter, obtained by CNN, revealed that the Department of Defense will transfer "$1,071.117 million" to its accounts for replenishing stockpiles and reimbursing for defense services provided to Ukraine. However, once these funds are obligated, the department will have exhausted the available funding for security assistance.

Kirby underscored the urgency for congressional action, stating, "We are still planning one more aid package to Ukraine later this month. However, when that one's done, as the comptroller Mr. McCord made clear in his note to Congress today, we will have no more replenishment authority available to us, and we're going to need Congress to act without delay, as we have been saying."

The aid package, initially introduced in October, aimed to provide significant funding to Ukraine, along with defense funding for Israel and Taiwan. However, the package has faced obstacles in Congress as Republicans have demanded concessions from the Biden administration on immigration policy and border security.

President Biden has expressed willingness to compromise with Republicans, but reaching a deal before the end of the year seems unlikely. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky recently met with congressional leaders in an effort to advocate directly for additional aid, but progress has been slow due to ongoing negotiations surrounding immigration.

In an attempt to reach a consensus on border policies, senior White House officials, including White House chief of staff Jeff Zients, have been calling both Republican and Democratic lawmakers over the weekend. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas also met with Senate negotiators on Capitol Hill.

However, navigating the negotiations for an immigration deal that can pass the Senate this week has proven to be a challenge. Fifteen GOP senators, including Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, anticipate that negotiations for a deal will stretch into next year and are demanding a special conference meeting in January to discuss the ongoing talks.

While Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer insists on holding a vote on the legislation this week, Senator James Lankford, the top Republican at the negotiation table, believes that discussing the legislation when the House returns in early January is a more realistic timeline, as senators still do not have the legislative text.

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, Congress has approved a total of $113 billion in security, economic, and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, with $46.6 billion allocated for direct military assistance. The United States remains the largest provider of aid to Ukraine among all countries.

As the final aid package approaches, the fate of Ukraine's future assistance lies in the hands of Congress, underscoring the urgent need for swift action to ensure that Ukraine can continue its fight for freedom and deter Russian aggression in the region.