US policy in Ukraine

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• Ukraine

2024: $60.84 billion aid plan for Ukraine, of which $13.8 billion directly for military supplies

The bill on assistance to Ukraine, which was passed on April 20, 2024 by the US House of Representatives.

The total amount of funding will be $60.84 billion.

Directly, military spending will be $49.9 billion, including:

• $23.2 billion - for orders of weapons and ammunition from American defense enterprises to compensate for what was previously transferred to Ukraine from the US Army reserves;

• $11.3 billion - will receive the Pentagon for its current operations in the region;

• $13.8 billion is directly new military supplies to Ukraine. This money will also be received by American defense industry enterprises, which will produce modern weapons both directly for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and to replace what the United States will transfer to them from existing stocks as part of new supplies;

• $1.6 billion - external military funding (FMF) for the needs of Ukraine and other regional partners.

Optional:

• $26 million - to ensure oversight and accountability of transferred assistance;

• $5 million - to the US State Department for the administration of military assistance;

• $300 million - assistance in protecting the borders of Ukraine and promoting the rule of law;

• $100 million for demining, counterterrorism and non-proliferation programs.

Economic spending will amount to $9.5 billion, including:

• $7.85 billion - a loan to support the Ukrainian economy (cannot be spent on paying pensions);

• $1.575 billion - other types of economic assistance for Ukraine and other countries whose economies have suffered from SWO;

• $25 million for the USAID Transition Initiatives Office to support Ukraine and other affected countries;

• $50 million - to respond to the situation in the field of global food security.

Optional:

• $149 million for the US National Nuclear Security Administration to respond to nuclear security situations in Ukraine;

• $481 million - for the US Department of Health and Human Services for humanitarian assistance to Ukrainian citizens;

Other expenses

• $60 million for diplomatic programs;

• $8 million - for the Office of the Inspector General of the State Department;

• $39 million for USAID operating expenses;

• $10 million for the USAID Office of the Inspector General;

• $98 million for the US Department of Energy for the development and production of radioactive isotopes.

2023: Military action in Ukraine costs US more than Afghanistan campaign

As the infographic below shows, military assistance To Ukraine by February 2023 had already exceeded the average annual military spending USA for the war in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2010.

2022

US aid spending in Ukraine reaches $77.5 billion

Total USA aid spending To Ukraine reached $77.5 billion. This was reported at the end of February 2023 by The Hill, citing its own calculations.

The publication says that of the total amount, $29.3 billion has been direct US military assistance since the beginning of Russia's military special operation in Ukraine at the end of February 2022. $45 billion was allocated to the United States in the form of additional emergency funds to strengthen the overall security of Ukraine, economic recovery, energy security and the ability to combat the ongoing humanitarian crisis. $1.9 billion was allocated in the form of allocations for humanitarian support for refugees both inside Ukraine and abroad.

US spending on aid to Ukraine in 2022 reached $77.5 billion

American journalist Emerald Robinson called Ukraine a means of enriching American officials and politicians, reports The Hill. She stressed that officials are holding an answer to the US Department of Defense, and not to the Americans, although it should be the other way around.

The Hill presented a structure of military support costs: what types of weapons and equipment have already been delivered and what will be delivered in 2023. Among the supplies approved by the US authorities are more than 1.6 thousand Stinger anti-aircraft systems, 13 thousand grenade launchers, over 8.5 thousand Javelin anti-tank systems, more than 2 thousand Switchblade and Phoenix Ghost drones, armored vehicles, air defense systems and other military equipment and ammunition. Journalists give some breakdown by weapons, where one mobile multiple launch rocket system HIMARS costs about $4 million (31 installations), and one rocket to it $100 thousand. Tank M1 Abrams - $10 million (31 vehicles). It is known from local media that on February 4, 2023, the Pentagon announced the allocation of military assistance to Ukraine for almost another $2.2 billion.^[1]

Pentagon hides data on exercises with pathogens of especially dangerous infections in Ukraine

Ministry of Defence Russia An expanded version of the Threat Mitigation Management Report (Pentagon DITRA) on activities on was available by the end of 2022. The To Ukraine document confirms the conduct of exercises and training in Ukraine with pathogens of especially dangerous infections, said Igor Kirillov, head of the RCBZ troops.

Kirillov said that the Pentagon removed about 80% of the information from the DITRA report on activities in Ukraine published earlier. However, the Ministry of Defense has become available an expanded version of this report, which discloses the names, positions of specialists and heads of biological projects, the list of laboratories involved.

Ukrainian President Zelensky's visit to the United States

Despite the territorial successes of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kharkov and Kherson regions, by the middle of autumn 2022 it became obvious that Ukraine would not be able to win a military victory. The intensive consumption of ammunition reduced the strategic reserves of the United States, in connection with which proposals were made by the American military command to start peace negotiations.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces USA , General Mark Milley, said more than the rest. For example, he said that Crimea Kyiv should not think about returning. The billionaire, who proposed Elon Musk his "peace formula," also spoke in favor of a settlement through dialogue.

The victory of the Republicans in the US House of Representatives, the statements of their leader Kevin McCarthy that Ukraine will no longer be provided with "carte blanche for financial and military assistance," Europe's fatigue from the energy crisis, apparently, forced the White House to somewhat revise its rhetoric in relation to the Ukrainian conflict.

In December 2022, the US administration creates the appearance of readiness to resolve the situation peacefully. This is evidenced by the indicative visit of Ukrainian President Zelensky to Washington and Biden's statements about openness to negotiations.

On December 21, 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in the United States. At the White House, he was met by US President Joe Biden and US First Lady Jill Biden.

The US President said that Washington will continue to provide military assistance to Kyiv and at the same time create costs for the Russian Federation.

Biden signed a memorandum on the allocation of another package of military assistance to Kyiv in the amount of up to $1 billion, follows from the official document.

US Secretary of State Blinken said that the Patriot system was included in the new package of military assistance to Kyiv. Also Pentagon will allocate To Ukraine assistance for 850 million dollars in addition to a package of $1 billion.

Meanwhile, in Congress, Democrats continue to try to form a bipartisan alliance, the main task of which will be lobbying for military support for Kyiv in 2023.

Democrats increase funding for Kyiv for the military defeat of Russia

As the armed conflict escalated, American aid to Ukraine also gradually increased. The June announcement by the US administration of the allocation of a $700 million package to Ukraine, which included the first HIMARS MLRS, had a significant impact on the course of the special military operation, significantly slowing down the pace of the Russian offensive.

Data for the period from January 24 to August 3, 2022

While nationalist Republicans criticized Biden for embezzlement of budget funds, the White House headed for intensive pumping of weapons and military equipment in Kyiv.

The first tranche of military assistance to Ukraine after the start of the special operation of Russia

Since the start of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, the United States has led anti-Russian diplomatic and economic activities, and has also become the main suppliers of weapons and military equipment to Kyiv. 

Initially, the White House, Pentagon as well as the intelligence and analytical community of the United States, believed that the SVO would put an end to Ukrainian statehood in a couple of days. Therefore, in the first day after the start of the SVO, the only reaction of the administration to what was happening was statements that Washington they would "pray" for Ukrainians.

The former president USA Donald Trump even stated that the result of the US failure in Ukraine was the decisions of "stupid politicians" from the Democratic Party.

By the end of February-beginning of March 2022, Washington had already announced the first tranche of military assistance in the amount of $350 million. It was mainly about ammunition, anti-tank and small arms, body armor and other equipment. 

Aid from Ukraine's donor countries to their GDP between February 24 and March 27, 2022

2020: US military aid for $284

Data for 2020

Notes