The war in Ukraine is more than 100 days old and has displaced some 13 million Ukrainians with no end in sight.
Key points:
- Since Marsh, the US has increased aid and services in Ukraine after the passage of two bills
- Joe Biden continues to replenish stocks as US lethal aid to Ukraine exceeds $ 37 billion
- But a group that controls U.S. spending is concerned about the risks and abuse of weapons
But the Ukrainians have so far clung to much of the country, largely because of weapons sent from the West that have bolstered the army to give it a chance to fight the Russians.
Although Australia has sent $ 200 million in Bushmaster weapons and vehicles, it is only a fraction of the amount of US military aid committed.
According to the Center for International Policy (CIP), a U.S.-based group that oversees U.S. military spending and weapons, Congress has approved $ 54 billion ($ 70 billion) in aid to Ukraine since the invasion of February 24th.
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Monitoring of weapons being dumped in Ukraine
The billions of dollars of foreign weapons sent to Ukraine have given them a chance to fight Russia, but could they fall into the wrong hands?
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“If you look at the scale, the magnitude and the speed, it’s really amazing,” CIP Associate Hanna Homestead told ABC News Daily.
“When you think about it compared to other things in the US budget, our NASA space agency’s budget is only $ 24 billion ($ 35 billion).”
“We’ve only spent $ 1 billion ($ 1.44 billion) on climate finance, which has really significant effects on countries around the world.”
Last week, the United States pledged $ 1 billion more ($ 1.44 billion) in arms and aid to Ukraine amid an urgent call from Kyiv for more advanced weapons.
The new package was announced after a meeting with allies at NATO headquarters in Brussels and includes a commitment to more long-range artillery and first-time anti-missile missile launchers.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised the commitment, saying it would further strengthen the nation’s defense.
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“I am grateful for this support. It is especially important for our defense in the Donbas,” he said after the announcement.
How’s $ 70 Billion in Weapons?
According to the CIP, $ 26 billion ($ 37 billion) of total funding has been spent on military aid alone. This includes an increase in lethal aid, which translates into helicopters, drones, high-mobility artillery rocket systems, howitzers, javelins, rifles and ammunition.
“This has certainly been the largest amount of aid the United States has provided to any country, and certainly even more than the aid we sent to Afghanistan during the height of reconstruction.” said Homestead.
It marked a turning point in April when the United States began transferring weapons that required the training of U.S. soldiers.
“And that kind of commitment to send this equipment and send this training showed an escalation in how the United States thinks about the kind of support they were going to offer to Ukraine,” he said.
The U.S. Congress has passed two bills that allow President Joe Biden to quickly supply and hand over weapons to Ukraine.
Congress passed a bill for emergency financing for Ukraine in March that included traditional and military aid, while a second $ 40 billion ($ 58 billion) bill was passed in May. ).
Hannah Homestead said it included $ 19 billion ($ 27 billion) for immediate military support, while $ 9 billion ($ 13 billion) was pledged to replenish U.S. arms stockpiles.
Senator Rand Paul tried unsuccessfully to change a second weapons-related bill for Ukraine. (AP / Senate Television)
What about guns?
Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky tried to amend the second bill, requiring an inspector general to oversee the spending and deployment of weapons. He failed, and Congress passed the bill without him.
“Supervision is very complicated,” Ms. Homestead said.
“There are many risks and implications for sending weapons to a war zone, especially this large number in an emergency.
“There are a lot of concerns about monitoring and making sure that these weapons end up where they are supposed to belong and not fall into the wrong hands.”
The CIP is also concerned about the possibility of arms trafficking.
“Ukraine, in particular, has a history of illicit arms trade that really skyrocketed in the 1990s after the fall of the Soviet Union. And those weapons were in Ukraine and in fact have ended up in places all over the world. world, “Ms. Homestead said. .
So far, the US Congress has approved funding until September.
“I certainly know the amount of weapons and also the amount of humanitarian support, the refugee support we have provided in Ukraine so far has made a big difference,” Homestead said.
“I’m not really sure what the prospects are for longevity [of the war] if we had to cut back on aid “.
The United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Belgium and France are also among the nations that have supplied Ukraine with weapons and military equipment.