WASHINGTON, January 9. /TASS/. Members of the White House National Security Council have discussed the prospects of providing assistance to Ukraine with representatives of US military-industrial complex, Reuters reported, citing sources.

According to the news agency, the meeting held on Monday at the White House was aimed at "reinforcing the Biden administration's interest in supporting Ukraine's access to cutting-edge US equipment." The meeting was attended by Jake Sullivan, head of the White House National Security

Council, Jon Finer, his deputy, as well as industry executives from Fortem Aerospace, defense technology companies like Palantir Technologies Inc, and Anduril Industries Inc, and drone maker Skydio.

According to Reuters, Sullivan explained the need to "Ukraine overcome these key technological challenges that they have identified as inhibiting their progress and momentum" on the battlefield. "The conversation focused on a number of systems, including, unmanned aerial systems, how to counter incoming unmanned aerial systems, and then also addressing the demining challenge," one of the sources said. The news agency also said that White House officials have made it clear that initiatives to increase aid to Ukraine will not be implemented if the US Congress does not approve the administration's request for additional funding.

The Washington administration sent a request to Congress last October for supplemental appropriations for the 2024 fiscal year, which began in the US on October 1, primarily to provide aid to Israel and Ukraine, as well as to counter China and Russia in the Asia-Pacific region. In total, the Biden administration is seeking about $106 billion for these purposes.

The fate of the request and alternative bills remains unclear. A number of Republicans in the House of Representatives and Senate have recently spoken out against continued financial support for Kiev.