Western military aid to Kiev since Feb 2022 tops $100bln; half from US

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
3 Sep 2023 23:35

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov announces that Western military aid to Ukraine, received since February 2022, has reached a staggering $100 billion, with over $50 billion of that aid coming from the United States alone.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov speaks during a press conference in Kiev. (AFP)

Ukraine's Defense Minister, Oleksii Reznikov, revealed that Western allies have provided approximately $100 billion worth of military aid since the Ukraine war began in February 2022.

He emphasized that over $50 billion of these supplies came from the United States alone. Reznikov explained that the aid included weaponry, equipment, ammunition, and more.

While Ukraine allocated some of its state budget for the procurement of military assets, a significant portion was dedicated to compensating and supporting Ukrainian troops.

Western support for Ukraine started with lighter arms and training but has expanded to include heavier weaponry, with Ukraine's request for fighter jets being a recent development. Russia has consistently opposed additional arms deliveries to Ukraine.

US weapons to Ukraine funneled into black market: Ex-Pentagon official

Last month, former senior Pentagon Advisor Col. Douglas Macgregor pointed out the possibility of US-supplied weapons to Ukraine ending up on the black market.

"We're sending a billion dollars worth of equipment and much of it disappears perhaps on the black market and the cash never gets where it's supposed to go! What's happening right now demands our attention and understanding," Colonel Douglas Macgregor said in a post on X.

Cash and equipment swap in Ukraine!

We're sending a billion dollars worth of equipment and much of it disappears perhaps on the black market and the cash never gets where it's supposed to go!

What's happening right now demands our attention and understanding.
— Douglas Macgregor (@DougAMacgregor) August 19, 2023

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Western countries have been steadily offering military aid to Ukraine, evolving from artillery munitions and training in 2022 to more substantial weaponry, including tanks, throughout 2023. As Ukraine's aspirations expand, with recent calls for fighter jets, the geopolitical landscape becomes increasingly complex.

Back in July, former senior Pentagon advisor Karen Kwiatkowski told Sputnik 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.

Similarly, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu previously said the arms supplied by the West to Ukraine were ending up on the black market and spreading across West Asia.