Photo: Getty images
The Pentagon and independent analysts have denied former US President Donald Trump’s claim that the United States has allegedly provided $350 billion in aid to Ukraine. According to the Voice of America, the actual amount is much less: since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Washington has allocated about $183 billion to Kyiv, of which $65.9 billion was spent on military aid.
The data was confirmed by an interagency oversight group that reports to the US Congress. According to the Pentagon, another $3.9 billion in military aid remains unspent.
Part of the funds remains in the US
About $58 billion of the total aid package to Ukraine was used directly in the United States. These funds were used to develop the US defence industry: partly to replace old weapons transferred to Ukraine, and partly to invest directly in the production of new weapons.
Voice of America journalists asked the White House to explain the discrepancies between the official figures and Trump’s statement. The administration’s response quoted the current US president’s comments, but without specific details about the former president’s erroneous calculations.
Trump’s statement about overstated aid to Ukraine was made in the context of his criticism of current US policy. At the same time, distorted figures may influence public opinion and support for further aid to Kyiv.