The US defends the aid sent to Ukraine: “We see no evidence of embezzlement”

The government of USA defended this Tuesday the aid sent to Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion a year ago, emphasizing that the best example of its good use is the resistance of the country against the forces of Russia.

“We see no evidence of embezzlement. We believe that the Ukrainians are correctly using what they have been given. Our conclusion is that if any of these systems have been diverted, it has been by Russians who have captured material on the battlefield.”Defense Undersecretary Colin Kahl told the House Armed Services committee.

Since the Republicans won the majority in that chamber in January after the mid-term elections in November, they have focused their efforts on holding the government accountable for both the aid sent to Ukraine and the management of the pandemic or the situation on the border with Mexico.

The interrogation on Tuesday, which also summoned the inspector general of the Defense Department, Robert Storch, and Lieutenant General Douglas Sims, is part of that political offensive launched from the opposition.

“It is imperative that the American public understand where our aid is going, how it is used, and what safeguards are in place to make sure it does not end up in the wrong hands.” said Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, chairman of the Armed Services committee.

Since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Congress has authorized more than $113 billion in humanitarian, economic, or security aid. About 60% of that figure corresponds to military support.

“If the weapons, equipment and support we have sent them had gone elsewhere, been stolen or misused, they would have been lost long ago. That they have been so successful is the best proof that the systems and the support that we are sending them are being used to the best of their ability.” stressed Democratic Congressman Adam Smith, a member of the committee.

That support, he stressed, is not equivalent to a blank check, as Washington’s reluctance to send the F16 fighters requested by kyiv partly reflects: “Even if we say there’s nothing more important, at best we might be able to get them out in a year or maybe eight months. (…) It is not an adequate use of the resources necessary to win”.

The Department of Defense inspector general added that his cabinet already carries out a thorough evaluation of the material sent “from the moment it arrives at the port until it is transferred to the points of call and enters the country.”

But the Republicans go further. With accountability, according to Rogers, the committee’s chair, it’s also about ensuring that management sets strategic goals and implements a policy to achieve them.

“That is where I have serious concerns. From the beginning, the president (Joe Biden) has been overly concerned that giving Ukraine what he needs to win would escalate. This doubt has only lengthened the war and increased the costs in a matter of dollars and lives,” he said.

For Rogers, Biden must be willing to do whatever it takes to end this war, because continued indecision “only empowers” Russian President Vladimir Putin and “sends the wrong signal” both his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, and the Chinese Communist Party.

The current situation on the battlefield, as summarized by Lieutenant General Sims, is “quite static”. Both sides have mobilized “large amounts of artillery that have resulted in minimal changes.”

But the end of the war will not mean the end of aid: “Ukraine continues to need the support of the United States and our allies and partners and that is going to be the case for a while,” The Undersecretary of Defense for Policy concluded on the need for that country to ensure that it has a strong Army that allows it to defend its territory in the long term.

Source: EFE