America is less safe under Biden. But it’s worse than most people think.
Now the Pentagon announced scary news that has Americans everywhere worried sick.
According to a new Pentagon Inspector General report released Thursday, the U.S. military failed to track more than $1 billion in weaponry transferred to Ukraine that they were mandated to track between February and June of last year.
The announcement comes as Congress prepares to discuss sustaining aid to the war-torn country as the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion approaches.
The Inspector General’s study examined the Defense Department’s “enhanced end-use monitoring” (EEUM) program, which is required for certain types of smaller armaments that are more likely to be intercepted and redirected to the black market.
“These EEUM-designated defense articles included Javelin missiles, Javelin [launch units], Stinger missiles, Stinger gripstocks and lethal miniature aerial missile system Switchblades,” the report said.
While the U.S. has provided more than $45 billion in military aid to Ukraine since 2021, the report only analyzed EEUM-designated weaponry given by the U.S. and foreign allies, the value of which was approximately $1.7 billion over the time period studied.
“Although [American] and Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel conducted some required inventories, as of June 2, 2023, serial number inventories for more than $1.005 billion of the total $1.699 billion – 59[%] of the total value – of EEUM‑designated defense articles remained delinquent,” the report said.
While this is only a fraction of the more than tens of billions of dollars in weapons and military equipment received by Kyiv since Russia’s invasion began on February 24, 2022, it is the first look Americans have of Washington’s efforts to establish accountability for the aid.
The announcement comes as Congress reconvenes this week to try to work out a supplemental budget plan that would offer additional funds for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and border security. Without the bill, the U.S. will be unable to provide additional help to Kyiv.
Several House Republicans, including far-right Rep. Majorie Taylor-Greene (R-Ga.), have expressed worries about continuing aid to Ukraine, citing challenges with keeping weaponry in the right hands.
“We have sent Ukraine BILLIONS in liquid cash and billions more in weapons and ammunition,” Taylor-Greene posted to X Thursday, linking to the report. “The kicker? We have no idea where it all went! Yet Speaker Johnson wants to tie securing America’s border to MORE aid for Ukraine. I’m a HARD NO!! #AmericaFirst.”
According to Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the DoD IG found no cause to suspect that any of the untracked equipment ended up on the black market.
“There remains no credible evidence of illicit diversion of US-provided advanced conventional weapons from Ukraine,” Ryder said.
“We do see some instances of Russia continuing to spread disinformation to the contrary, but the fact is, we observe the Ukrainians employing these capabilities on the battlefield [and] we’re seeing them use them effectively.”
While this may be true, the watchdog stated that it was not actively hunting for evidence that such firearms ended up in the wrong hands.
“It was beyond the scope of our evaluation to analyze whether there has been diversion of such assistance,” the report stated.
Nonetheless, Ryder’s charges of Moscow propagating false reports of corruption are consistent with Kremlin efforts to promote misinformation about Kyiv in order to influence U.S. sentiments on ongoing aid.
The DoD IG has subsequently stationed staff in Ukraine, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) “continues to investigate allegations of criminal conduct with regard to US security assistance to Ukraine,” according to the report.
To improve auditing, the agency made five recommendations to the DoD, including “improv[ing] inventory procedures” and collaborating with the State Department “to improve visibility of third-party transfers” of EEUM-designated equipment before delivery.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
