After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, more Republican congressmen are pushing for a forensic investigation of all military and non-military aid the United States has provided to that country. President Joe Biden’s White House has now requested an additional $37 billion from Congress for the war in Ukraine, prompting that call for openness.
But is it even possible to control all that help, including loans, military hardware and humanitarian supplies in addition to financial transfers? How much money has the United States given to Ukraine? is a simpler question that needs to be addressed first.
Try Googling the question to find a solution. As I found out, the quest probably won’t be easy. There is no government website or media outlet tracking the ongoing costs of the war in Ukraine to American taxpayers. Even US conservative think tanks, many of which are still caught up in Cold War ideologies, have not focused on financial openness when examining US involvement in the struggle.
Among other things, the difference between the total aid granted and the aid promised and actually delivered obscures the answer. The two numbers differ significantly because the Biden administration has not been particularly quick to turn funding into actual aid.
Do you want to know more about the war between Ukraine and Russia?
- The world has been waiting for major updates from US President Joe Biden on the current Ukraine-Russia War situation. While Biden has taken crucial steps to express his distaste for the situation, the recent news surrounding the Russian aircraft is commendable.
The nonpartisan internal think tank for Congress, the Congressional Research Service, published a report on total “security help” as of October 21, 2022. From 2014 through October 14, 2022, funding for that category totaled $20.3 billion. But this brings up another confusing element.
Different sources use different metrics to quantify aid: some refer to security assistance, others refer to military aid, and some refer to humanitarian aid. Few estimate clearly how much the United States spent on its aid for the war in Ukraine.
Finally, I found a database from the German think tank Kiel Institute. They have kept records of all military and non-military aid sent to Ukraine since the beginning of the conflict. Their numbers reflect all the help from January 24, 2022 to October 3, 2022. (the data is scheduled for an update on December 6).
Kiel alleges that the United States provided the Ukrainian government with financial assistance of $54.43 billion in both military and non-military terms. The Kiel database, which contains descriptions of the various batches of military hardware, is the most specific and thorough inventory of what the US government has given to Ukraine. You can see it here if you’re interested.
Unfortunately, a journalist from America has to rely on a German think tank to obtain this information. The fact that Kiel had to painstakingly compile this information from multiple comments from the Secretary of State, the White House, and the Department of Defense is also regrettable. So the information is only as reliable as what the US federal government tells the media.
The estimated $54.43 billion from Kiel and the additional $37 billion proposal from the White House would total $91,430,000,000 for US involvement in Ukraine. Let’s put $91.43 billion in perspective.
According to Keel, the member states and institutions of the European Union have given Ukraine $30.45 billion. Russia’s most recent annual defense spending was estimated at $77.7 billion by the Jamestown Foundation.
Maine’s gross domestic product was $77.9 billion in 2021. Of course, none of this matters if one ignores the total government debt of $31.3 trillion owed by the United States.
GENE. MILLEY: “We, the United States, are determined to continue to support Ukraine with the means to defend itself for as long as possible.” pic.twitter.com/TagvgJkG7v
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) November 16, 2022
The requests for an audit of all that spending is a commendable undertaking. Much of that aid, however, is material, such as butter and guns, and has probably already been used. I highly doubt that the Ukrainian government is keeping track of everything. Why should they bother to follow it if there are no expectations from the United States? The story with the financial aid may be different; maybe there’s a paper trail.
Still, the amount of money funneled into one of Europe’s most dishonest nations runs into the billions. How much of a paper trail can you believe? The money is gone and no American politician will ever be held accountable or suffer the consequences. Moving democracy. Last but not least, if you disagree with the headline that refers to the ongoing conflict in Eastern Europe as a proxy war, you should raise it with individuals such as former Condaleeza Rice adviser Eliot Cohen, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO Phillip Breedlove, among others.
All parties involved in the conflict agree that there is a proxy war between the United States and Russia and not just a dispute over some border areas in Ukraine. Americans are being asked to pay for a massive transfer of wealth and armaments to a nation the majority couldn’t even identify on a map a month ago. It is therefore only a modest request to at least gain a full understanding of the current situation.
Final reflections
Janice has been with businesskinda for 5 years, writing copy for client websites, blog posts, EDMs and other mediums to engage readers and encourage action. By collaborating with clients, our SEO manager and the wider businesskinda team, Janice seeks to understand an audience before creating memorable, persuasive copy.