AUSTIN, Texas — The White House on Thursday requested $10 billion in Emergency Defense and Humanitarian aid for Ukraine. That's up from $6.4 billion in aid just a few days ago. Congress is also facing a looming government shutdown if they don't take action.
Fortunately, Ukraine is already getting aid right now thanks to Ukrainian-Americans sending their own care packages and gathered funds.
Marian Dzoban told 6 News he was already working on care package ideas last week. Dzoban was born in Ukraine and studied in Poland. He was able to contact Polish friends and start working out the logistics of sending aid.
Dzoban is now coordinating funding for thermal vision monoculars or binoculars from his Facebook page. Those will help Ukrainian militias keep up with Russian movements at night. He said he has purchased three so far and they are already in the country.
"The first package is already across the border and is on the way to Kyiv," Dzoban said.
Dzoban told 6 News up to 200,000 troopers are already supplied by the Ukrainian military but more than a million are still trying to find weapons to fight as well.
He said there are also millions of people in Kyiv and Kharkiv that still need medical help and supplies. Kharkiv is hundreds of miles from the border and constantly under attack. He said that Red Cross would not be able to get there in time.
"They ran out of medical supplies so right now we are trying to get it together and I think the first package should get there in five to seven days," Dzoban said.
Katryna Voinova is also working to fund aid in Ukraine. She said Ukrainian's hiding in bunkers need bandages, anti-biotics, medications, non-perishable food and even baby formula. She worries that larger organizations will not be able to make the difficult trips to Kyiv and Kharkiv but Ukrainian volunteers are going to try.
"Volunteers are just carrying it in their cars. Under the gunshots they are just delivering this," Voinova said.
Ukrainians still need more ammunition and heavy weapons to fight against Russia and that will need to come from allied countries. Voinova said she believes her country can push Russia back and win the war if they get the support they need.
"Ukrainians are united now, especially in the United States," Voinova said. "Some people ask us 'are you safe here'. We don't feel safe until our families are safe or at least if they send the most needed items."