On Monday, the U.S. Senate proposed an additional 40 billion dollars to support Ukraine. It is expected to be approved by Wednesday. Kiev has become the single largest recipient of U.S. arms aid in 2022 so far, as the U.S has sent over 3.8 billion dollars since last February as support for the country in light of the Russian military operation.
Senator Rand Paul temporarily held up the proposal last week as he asked for some supervision for the billions in taxpayer dollars that the U.S. administration is planning to designate as aid for Kiev. Between 2014 and 2021, the White House designated 2.7 billion dollars in “lethal and non-lethal” military assistance to Ukraine, seeking to crush the fledgling Donbass independence movements by force.
Since President Joe Bide started his term in the U.S. administration in early 2021, he has allocated more than 335 million dollars in assistance to Kiev. After the beginning of the Russian special military operation, Washington has boost Ukraine with thousands of Javelins, AT4 anti-armor systems, Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, Mi-17 helicopters scavenged from Afghanistan, radars, grenade launchers, a host of small arms, M777 and M198 howitzers and artillery, armored personnel carriers, drones, jamming equipment, and other aid.
The new aid package to be approved by the Congress, accountable for 40 billion dollars combines military and “humanitarian” aid, including 19.75 billion dollars in new defense assistance, which comprises 6 billion dollars in weapons and training, 8.7 billion dollars to replenish U.S. stocks, 4.4 billion dollars for United States European Command, and 600 million dollars for the Defence Production Act.
On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the West had used Ukraine as “expendable material” in the confrontation, reaffirming accusations against the U.S. and its NATO allies of engaging in a “hybrid war” against Russia.
Anatoly Antonov, Russian Ambassador to the U.S.has alerted about the danger in the supply of deadlier and deadlier weapons that was dragging Washington deeper into the conflict, harbingering “the most unpredictable consequences for the two nuclear powers.”
