U.S. Military have been deployed to Ukraine to keep track of weaponry and ammunition, as experts fear that America’s efforts to support the European war could deplete our own weapon inventory.
According to the Pentagon, a U.S. “defense attaché” of military personnel has been sent to alleviate concerns that American military equipment will end up on the black market.
United States Military Training Ukrainian Soldiers in Germany, Pentagon Admits https://t.co/at5NrXrh7r
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The military operation, which is being conducted alongside the Office of Defense Cooperation operating out of the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine, will also seek to strengthen checkpoints around Kyiv for weapons smugglers, step up training for local inspectors and guards, and provide training on how to properly dispose of or destroy weapons and munitions.
“Ensuring accountability of advanced weapons donations is a top priority, and over the past several months we’ve taken significant steps to adapt our accountability practices in support,” said an unnamed senior defense official in a transcript released to the public.
“U.S. personnel have recently resumed on-site inspections to assess weapon stocks in country whenever and wherever the security conditions allow. The return of our defense attaché and Office of Defense Cooperation personnel in country has allowed us to resume this critical function.”
This comes as U.S. President Joe Biden is requesting $13.7 billion more in aid to Ukraine as his $40 billion slush fund already approved by Congress earlier this year is running dry.
Since Biden came into office, he has spent $13.5 billion on security assistance for Ukraine. That includes over 1,400 stingers, over 8,500 javelins, 38 coveted High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), eight National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), and thousands of electronic communications and surveillance systems, according to a fact sheet dated Oct. 4.
Experts are fearing that Biden’s spending on overseas military aid could weaken our position should conflict erupt in other parts of the globe.
“For U.S. policy makers, the critical question regarding our policy towards Ukraine is quickly becoming more a what we can do for Ukraine, not necessarily what we should do,” said Dan Caldwell, a senior advisor to Concerned Veterans for America and vice president for foreign policy at Stand Together. “U.S. stockpiles of munitions are becoming dangerously depleted and it will take years for U.S. production capacity to catch up.”
On Ukraine’s Independence Day, Biden announced a three-billion-dollar aid package to Ukraine, the White House’s largest aid package since Russia’s invasion six months ago.
“The people of Ukraine, all our defenders highly appreciate America’s unwavering support,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on social media, thanking Biden for the support. “Together we will win!”
