Fact Sheet: US Assistance to Ukraine

US aid to Ukraine does not lack oversight nor has corruption in Ukraine diverted it.

Claim: US aid to Ukraine lacks oversight and is being misused because of corruption in Ukraine.

Fact: US oversight is extensive, and Ukrainian government oversight and accountability is extensive and growing.

• Critics point to a recent corruption case in which a small Ukrainian defense enterprise embezzled $40 million from public ammunition procurement funds, without noting that the Ukrainian government caught the thieves and recovered the money.[1]
• Ukraine has undertaken significant anti-corruption efforts within its government and defense industrial base enterprises as part of efforts to increase domestic defense production.[2]
• President Zelensky fired the previous defense minister after domestic corruption scandals unrelated to Western assistance emerged, and his replacement, the current minister, is aggressively rooting out corruption.[3] The Ukrainian government is also leveraging the robust and expansive Ukrainian NGO community to assist with its anti-corruption efforts.
• Ukrainian and DoD personnel have been working aggressively to continue to improve monitoring and tracking of US aid, and US DoD officials have stated that there is no evidence that US-provided military assistance to Ukraine has been misappropriated.[4]
• 84% of the funds for Ukraine in the current proposed package would go to US companies, the US military, and other allied militaries, not Ukraine, which would get hardware and training from those funds.[5]
• Western-provided weapons are being used as intended.  Mountains of evidence show advanced Western systems being used against Russian forces in Ukraine.[6]

America’s NATO and Asian allies and other European states have committed more money to support Ukraine than the United States.

Claim: The United States is giving more support to Ukraine than Europe, and Europe hasn’t stepped up.

Fact: America’s European, Asian, and NATO allies have committed over $178 billion to support Ukraine, which is more than the US will have committed counting the aid package currently under consideration.

• The EU and its member states have made available $148.5 billion (138 billion euros) - including its recently announced support package of $54 billion (50 billion euros) - to Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.[7]
• The United Kingdom has pledged $15.1 billion (£12 billion) in overall support to Ukraine since February 2022, of which $9 billion (£7.1 billion) is for military assistance.[8]
• Canada has committed $1.8 billion (over 2.4 billion Canadian dollars) in military assistance to Ukraine since February 2022.[9] The Canadian military has also has trained approximately 40,000 Ukrainian military and security personnel since 2015, and Canada expanded and extended this program until March 2026.
• Norway reached a multi-year agreement with Ukraine in February 2023 for a support program that will provide Ukraine with $7 billion (75 billion Norwegian kroner) between 2023 and 2027.[10] Norway pledged to allocate to Ukraine around $1.4 billion (15 billion Norwegian kroner) per year and had already provided around one billion dollars (10.7 billion Norwegian kroner) to Ukraine in 2022 and about $1.9 billion (19.9 billion Norwegian kroner) in 2023.
• NATO member Turkey is building a new drone production facility and service center in Ukraine. Turkey’s leading drone maker, Baykar, announced in September 2023 that Turkey would open a drone production facility and service center for Bayraktar TB2 drones, which reportedly will become operational by early 2025.[11]
• NATO member North Macedonia has sent 10 batches of military aid to Ukraine including Soviet-era military equipment as of November 2023.[12] North Macedonia is also training batches of Ukrainian military personnel and pledged to continue supporting Ukraine.[13]
• South Korea is expanding its production of critical 155mm artillery shells to refill Western stockpiles and support the continued provision of ammunition in Ukraine.[14]
• Japan pledged $4.5 billion to Ukraine in December 2023.[15] Japan also pledged an additional $37 million contribution to a NATO fund to provide additional support for Ukrainian defense in January 2024.[16]
• Australia provided approximately $590 million (910 million Australian dollars) in overall military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine as of late October 2023.[17]
• New Zealand provided Ukraine with more than $48.7 million (80 million New Zealand dollars) in military and humanitarian assistance as of July 2023.[18]

Ukraine is not a “forever war” for the United States because Americans are not fighting this war.

Claim: Ukraine is another 'forever war' for the United States.

Fact: This is not an American war.  It’s another nation’s war against an American enemy.

• Ukrainians are fighting this war, not Americans.
• The US is helping Ukraine fend off the Russian attack to reduce the risk that the US will have to fight Russia in the future. 
• A Putin victory over Ukraine would embolden him and encourage him to test America’s willingness to defend its NATO allies, increasing the risk of a US-Russia war.[19]
• Russian victory would also let Russian forces move closer to current NATO borders, forcing the US to commit more troops to the defense of its NATO allies.[20]
• Ukraine is building up its own military and defense industry to be able to reduce its dependence on the US and will be able to do so if the US continues its support.[21]
• Ukraine already has a significant defense industry and was one of the world’s leading weapons suppliers before the Russian invasions and is investing its own money and attracting foreign investors to dramatically increase this capability.[22]

Sending military aid to Ukraine increases America’s military readiness and reduces the risk that the United States will have to fight Russia itself.

Claim: Sending military aid to Ukraine degrades America's military readiness.

Fact: Sending military aid to Ukraine has enabled the United States to modernize its own military to be better prepared to fight the next war.

• The US is supporting Ukraine in part so that the US won’t have to fight Russia itself.
• The overwhelming majority of military assistance is going to build up the US defense industrial base.[23]  It is allowing the expansion of current production lines of essential military supplies that the US military will need in any future war.
• The equipment the US has been giving Ukraine is mostly old and sometimes inoperable.[24]  The US is purchasing new systems to replace what it gives Ukraine, modernizing the American military in the process.
• American allies are also reinvigorating their defense industries and modernizing their militaries as consequences of support to Ukraine, which benefits the US.[25]

The United States is not sending Ukraine a “blank check.”

Claim: The United States is/was sending Ukraine a "blank check."

Fact: The United States has not given Ukraine a blank check. Congress has appropriated specific amounts to be used for specific purposes.  Both Ukrainian and US officials monitor the aid to ensure that it is used for those purposes.

[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/28/world/europe/ukraine-corruption-defense.html; https://censor.net/en/news/3471737/lviv_arsenal_case_haccu_places_director_of_zbitnievs_company_under_house_arrest; https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/c51d7rz3p3zo

[2] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/ukraine%E2%80%99s-long-term-path-success-jumpstarting-self-sufficient-defense-industrial-base

[3] https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/11/europe/zelensky-military-corrruption-scandal-intl/index.html; https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/03/europe/ukraine-zelensky-fires-defense-minister-reznikov-intl-hnk/index.html; https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/09/04/ukraine-oleksii-reznikov-defense-minister/; https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-suspends-senior-defence-official-amid-corruption-probe-2024-02-02/; https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-polytics/3787804-umerov-vvazae-korupciu-pid-cas-vijni-terorizmom.html

[4] https://www.defense.gov/News/Speeches/Speech/Article/3652662/opening-remarks-by-secretary-of-defense-lloyd-j-austin-iii-at-the-18th-ukraine/; https://media.defense.gov/2024/Jan/11/2003374323/-1/-1/1/DODIG-2024-043-EEMU_REDACTED%20SECURE.PDF

[5] https://www.csis.org/analysis/past-present-and-future-us-assistance-ukraine-deep-dive-data; https://www.fpri.org/article/2023/10/for-as-long-as-it-takes-putting-us-aid-to-ukraine-into-perspective/#:~:text=As%20of%20Zelensky%27s%20latest%20visit,went%20to%20various%20othe

[6] https://www.defense.gov/News/Speeches/Speech/Article/3652662/opening-remarks-by-secretary-of-defense-lloyd-j-austin-iii-at-the-18th-ukraine/; https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3643869/pentagon-press-secretary-maj-gen-pat-ryder-holds-a-press-briefing/

[7] https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-february-6-2024

[8] https://commonslibrary dot parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9477/

[9] https://www.canada dot ca/en/department-national-defence/campaigns/canadian-military-support-to-ukraine.html

[10] https://www.regjeringen dot no/en/aktuelt/broad-political-agreement-on-multi-year-support-programme-for-ukraine/id2963374/; https://www.regjeringen dot no/en/topics/foreign-affairs/humanitarian-efforts/neighbour_support/id2908141/#:~:text=Around%2019.9%20billion%20kroner%20were,11%20billion%20as%20military%20support.&text=2.135%20billion%20for%20the%20Ukrainian,for%20energy%20security%20in%20Ukraine.

[11] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/ukraine%E2%80%99s-long-term-path-success-jumpstarting-self-sufficient-defense-industrial-base

[12] https://balkaninsight dot com/2023/11/22/north-macedonia-completes-training-first-batch-of-ukrainian-soldiers/; https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-tanks-macedonia-thanks/31976738.html; https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/nmacedonia-donates-tanks-ukraine-it-modernises-own-military-2022-07-29/; https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/ukraine-conflict-north-macedonia-confirms-transfer-of-su-25s-to-ukraine-mi-24-attack-helicopters-may-follow

[13] https://balkaninsight dot com/2023/11/22/north-macedonia-completes-training-first-batch-of-ukrainian-soldiers/

[14] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/ukraine%E2%80%99s-long-term-path-success-jumpstarting-self-sufficient-defense-industrial-base; https://www.janes.com/defence-news/defence/latest/south-korea-to-mass-produce-extended-range-projectiles-for-k9-howitzers#:~:text=DAPA%20ordered%202%2C000%20extended%2Drange,2025%2C%E2%80%9D%20the%20official%20said; https://www.thedefensepost dot com/2024/02/08/south-korea-artillery-round/; https://en.yna dot co.kr/view/AEN20240206002400315; https://www.reuters.com/world/south-korea-lend-500000-rounds-artillery-shells-us-report-2023-04-12/

[15] https://apnews.com/article/japan-ukraine-support-humanitarian-aid-g7-ac26f0224efbdcdfd75fbfdfbf6c9da8

[16] https://asia dot nikkei.com/Politics/Ukraine-war/Japan-foreign-minister-visits-Ukraine-pledges-37m-aid-via-NATO

[17] https://www.minister.defence dot gov.au/media-releases/2023-10-25/australian-capabilities-continue-supporting-ukraine

[18] https://www.beehive dot govt.nz/release/new-zealand-provide-further-support-ukraine

[19] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/high-price-losing-ukraine

[20] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/high-price-losing-ukraine

[21] https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/ukraine%E2%80%99s-long-term-path-success-jumpstarting-self-sufficient-defense-industrial-base

[22] https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/ukraine%E2%80%99s-long-term-path-success-jumpstarting-self-sufficient-defense-industrial-base

[23] https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/11/29/ukraine-military-aid-american-economy-boost/; https://www.aei.org/us-defense-industrial-base-and-the-war-in-ukraine/; https://www.csis.org/analysis/aid-ukraine-administration-requests-more-money-and-faces-political-battles-ahead; https://breakingdefense.com/2023/10/most-aid-to-ukraine-is-spent-in-the-us-a-total-shutdown-would-be-irresponsible/

[24] https://www.defensenews.com/land/2023/05/31/equipment-for-ukraine-drawn-from-kuwait-wasnt-combat-ready-ig-says/ ; https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/19/world/europe/ukraine-weapons-howitzers-contracts.html

[25] https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/ukraine%E2%80%99s-long-term-path-success-jumpstarting-self-sufficient-defense-industrial-base