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Coinciding with the celebration of the first year of the war in Ukraine, the United States Department of Defense announced a new security assistance package, which has sparked criticism from the Republican opposition to President Biden asking him to focus on domestic issues. Report from our correspondent in the United States, Cristóbal Vásquez.
In his surprise visit to kyiv, on the eve of the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine, President Biden said that US military support will continue to ensure Ukrainian sovereignty.
“One year later, kyiv, Ukraine and democracy stand and the Americans and the world stand with you,” the president said.
This is the latest announcement of military aid that the United States has given to Ukraine since the war began on February 24, 2022, and adds to the $75 billion in aid that the United States has provided to Ukraine in humanitarian support. , financial and military.
This is indicated by the report presented by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, which highlights that of the total delivered so far, 46 thousand 600 million dollars have been allocated to military aid.
Some 26,400 dollars have been for financial and operational expenses of the Ukrainian government and about 4 billion for financial and humanitarian aid.
US aid is more than double the roughly $32 billion the European Union has given Ukraine.
Specifically, in military aid, Ukraine has received more than 500 tanks and armored vehicles for warfare, 1,700 hummers, 2,500 drones, tens of thousands of weapons, rocket systems and ammunition, 20 helicopters, 58 coastal defense boats and defense systems. aircraft, among other military equipment. In addition to all the training and maintenance that these military equipment require.
Republican criticism
However, the management of these resources has recently been called into question after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fired four deputy ministers and five regional governors on accusations of bribery and waste of resources earmarked for war.
This has further fueled Republican voices in the United States questioning Biden’s continued funding of Ukraine. This is the case of congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green who called for transparency with resources. “I ask for an audit of every penny sent to Ukraine. Any aid money that has been given to the Ukrainian government.”
Like her, many Republicans are asking the president to focus more on the country’s local problems than on international conflicts. It should be noted that more than half of the discretionary national budget for 2022 was allocated to Defense.
