The bills are not good. The US has provided tens of billions of dollars in support to Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022. In November, American Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin wanted to convince Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the sustainability of American aid during his trip to Kiev and emphasized that Washington's help in dealing with Russia was long-term.
Indeed, as a spearhead of support for Kiev, Washington has contributed significantly to the resistance of Ukrainian forces. But the United States does not have “the necessary resources to replenish these stocks,” warned Pat Ryder, Pentagon spokesman, this Thursday… especially since the American Defense Department has not fully respected the requirements of the procedure. 20 Minutes takes stock as the Pentagon speaks of “failures.”
What is this story about “failures”?
On Thursday, an independent panel within the Pentagon said it had not fully met oversight requirements for about $1 billion in military aid to Ukraine. “As of June 2, 2023, serial number inventories were deficient for more than $1.005 billion (59%) of the total $1.699 billion in defense equipment covered by the EEUM,” said a press release from the Office of the Inspector General Pentagons.
The term EEUM refers to material whose use is subject to increased monitoring due to its sensitivity. The affected devices include Javelin anti-tank missiles, Stinger anti-aircraft missiles and Switchblade combat drones.
How can we explain these Pentagon failures?
During a serial number inventory, inspectors record or scan the device's barcode and then update the information in a database. And this failure can be explained by factors such as the “limited number of American personnel in the logistics centers of partner countries and in Ukraine” or restrictions on the freedom of movement of surveillance personnel, according to the press release from the Pentagon's Office of the Inspector General. “The high error rate may be related to the inability to keep a complete accounting of defense equipment subject to an EEUM designation,” he adds, stressing that these deficiencies “could increase the risk of theft or misappropriation.”
Is this waiver voluntary?
“There is no credible evidence of illegal diversion of advanced conventional weapons supplied by the United States to Ukraine,” Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder assured.
The fact is that this announcement comes at a time when Republican opponents of President Joe Biden are still protesting against additional aid for Kiev. Not to mention that the Pentagon pointed out last October that Kiev was wasting its artillery shells by continuing to use overwhelming volleys that mimic Soviet tactics. According to estimates by the Washington Post, Kiev has fired around two million rounds of 155-millimeter artillery since the start of the war, decimating almost all Western stocks.