Biden administration seeks $32.5bln in Ukraine and COVID aid -reports

The White House will officially ask Congress for the emergency funding later on Thursday, it added. The Punchbowl News media outlet also reported on the planned funding request. Representatives for the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the reports.

U.S. President Joe Biden's administration is seeking $32.5 billion in additional funding from Congress to aid Ukraine and bolster the U.S. COVID response, U.S. media reports said on Thursday. The White House is seeking $10 billion to help train Ukraine's military, protect its electrical grid, boost its cyberdefenses and enforce sanctions, the Washington Post reported, citing two people familiar with the matter.

Another $22.5 billion would go toward shoring up the nations pandemic response as part of the nation's shift toward managing COVID-19 long-term and preparing for any potential new variants and spikes in cases, the Post said, also citing a letter from the U.S. Office of Management and Budget sent to U.S. lawmakers it had obtained. The White House will officially ask Congress for the emergency funding later on Thursday, it added. The Punchbowl News media outlet also reported on the planned funding request.

Representatives for the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the reports.