On Friday, the U.S. announced another aid package for Ukraine, comprising $400 million in support including High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) along with Patriot missiles, artillery, anti-air and anti-tank munitions.
The U.S. on Friday announced a $400 million military aid package for Ukraine, the third slated for the embattled country after the passage last month of a national security supplemental that included $61 billion for Kyiv.
The new package includes Patriot air defense munitions and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, which have been crucial to defending Ukraine’s skies and keeping its cities safe.
Other equipment also includes more High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems and155mm and 105mm artillery rounds, which Ukraine has desperately needed to fend off Russian attacks across the frontline as Moscow has an advantage in artillery fire.
The U.S. is also providing Javelin missiles, Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles, M113 Armored Personnel Carriers, patrol boats and general small arms ammunition, grenades and demolition munitions.
This announcement comes on the heels of a much larger package for Ukraine in April, consisting of $1 billion of American taxpayer’s money in support.
The announcement comes after an initial $1 billion package in late April shortly after President Biden signed the national security supplemental bill into law after months of Congress holding up talks on new aid for Ukraine.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also announced a $6 billion package for Ukraine that will require Kyiv to purchase equipment from the defense industrial base before delivery.
As of April 24th, the United States has given almost $45 billion — that’s billion with a “b,” followed by an “illion” — to Ukraine to help them fend off the Russian invasion.
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While the conflict seems to be devolving into a stalemate, something of a high-tech version of the Great War, it can’t go on forever. Sooner or later one side will have to give way, and at this juncture, it’s hard to see Russia losing, although their military has been shown to be much less competent and their troops much less committed than when, for example, the Red Army was driving towards Berlin. But Russia still holds wide swathes of Ukrainian territory.
What is concerning is the amount of money the United States is pouring into this conflict. The old saying, “A billion here and a billion there, and pretty soon you’re talking real money” applies, and $45 billion is a lot of money by any measure; add to that the fact that the United States is, essentially, broke, and yet we keep promising billions here and there to all and sundry.
Granted, Ukraine was unfairly invaded. Granted, Russia’s ever-expanding territorial ambitions should be countered. But it’s getting difficult to see an end-game here. Russia cannot maintain its invasion forever, and Ukraine can’t (we hope) count on an endless flow of cash and munitions from the United States forever. Some problems don’t have solutions that work for everyone, and the war between Russia and Ukraine — and the flood of money on offer from the United States — isn’t a situation that can go on forever.
