Washington claims arms to Ukraine not being 'sold to black market'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
24 Feb 2023 23:13
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National Security Council official John Kirby says there are no signs that military aid to Kiev is being misplaced.

US weapons supplied to the Ukrainian army. (Reuters)

There is so far no indication that military aid provided to Ukraine has been used away from its intended prupose, sold on the black market or even captured by Russian forces, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council John Kirby said today.

"We have seen no indication today that any of the resources or weapons and capabilities we provided to Ukraine have been misused, misplaced or stolen, sold on the black market. or captured by the Russians," Kirby told reporters on Friday.

Congress top investigative committe hints otherwise

However, scrutiny over the Biden administration's Ukraine spending has spread across investigative congressional committees that are demanding Washington to answer for where American taxpayer funds have gone.

Earlier, the House Foreign Affairs Committee - a standing committee of the House of Representatives with jurisdiction to audit and investigate US foreign spending - stated that it "will demand more Congressional oversight to ensure U.S. assistance for Ukraine is being spent transparently and effectively," and to "ensure there are no gaps in the oversight of U.S. economic, development and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.

According to a report published by The Weekly Journal news site on Wednesday, the Committee on Oversight and Accountability - the main investigative committee of the House of Representatives - announced on Wednesday that it "is conducting oversight of the federal government’s administration of U.S. taxpayer-funded assistance to Ukraine."

The committee wants a comprehensive document of “strategies for end-use monitoring of weapons, equipment, direct budgeting assistance"

In a letter sent to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, and Administrator Samantha Powers of the US Agency for International Development, the committee said it is launching the most inclusive audit of the Ukraine war spending so far.

"It is critical that government agencies administering these funds ensure they are used for their intended purposes to prevent and reduce the risk of waste, fraud, and abuse," the committee said in statement.

The committee also demanded detailed documents from the Department of Defense (DOD), Department of State (State), and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for auditing, after Congress "has provided more than $113 billion for security, humanitarian, economic, and governance assistance."

In July 2022, former senior Pentagon advisor Karen Kwiatkowski said that Ukraine is selling weapons it acquired from the West on the black market due to the Kiev forces' limited ability to use them because of their lack of training, logistical challenges, and the diminishing size of the Ukrainian armed forces

Also, in December 2022, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari warned that weapons supplied to Ukraine from Western countries are "starting to flow" into the Lake Chad basin region.

"Regrettably, the situation in the Sahel and the raging war in Ukraine serve as major sources of weapons and fighters that bolster the ranks of the terrorists in the region," he said.

Russia & NATO

As the Draconian Western-led sanctions on Russia exacerbate the economic crisis worldwide, and as Russian troops gain more ground despite the influx of military aid into Ukraine, exposing US direct involvement in bio-labs spread across Eastern Europe and the insurgence of neo-Nazi groups… How will things unfold?