U.S. Officials Press Oversight of Billions to Ukraine

"WASHINGTON -- With the U.S. sending roughly $130 million a day in military aid to Ukraine in addition to economic and other assistance, current and former U.S. officials warn that more must be done to ensure arms and money aren't diverted, stolen or misused.

The nearly $54 billion that Congress has appropriated for Ukraine since January -- with strong bipartisan support -- dwarfs annual U.S. aid to any other country including assistance sent to Afghanistan at the height of U.S. military involvement there, the officials said.

Since sanctions upon Russia, speeding support to Kyiv has taken precedence in Congress and the White House over establishing new oversight mechanisms.

"We've been moving fast and hard, and we haven't had time, in my view, to reflect on that," said Rep. Mike Rogers (R., Ala.), ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee and a supporter of Ukraine.

No instances of malfeasance have emerged. The government of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has won praise in the U.S. and Europe for how it has used weaponry provided by the U.S. and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Ukraine says it urgently needs more heavy Western weapons.

The latest Ukraine aid package includes relatively small sums for inspectors in the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development to conduct additional oversight activities.

When evaluating potential arms transfers, the U.S. weighs the "risk of illicit diversion" among other political, military, and human-rights considerations, said a spokesman for the National Security Council.

Transfers won't be approved if the U.S. assesses the materiel wouldn't be used in ways consistent with deals for the sale or transfer, the spokesman said.

When U.S. equipment is handed to Ukraine, U.S. officials said, they have little direct knowledge of where that material goes, relying on the Kyiv for such information. The administration hasn't agreed to allow U.S. troops, who could conduct oversight, into the country.

Given the vast scale of the aid and the absence of U.S. and NATO oversight personnel, veterans of past U.S. military assistance campaigns say it is likely a matter of time before problems emerge.

"Even if it's a noble cause, there's going to be theft. There's going to be stupid decisions being made. It's human nature," said John Sopko, the special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction, who has spent a decade identifying instances of wasted and stolen U.S. funds there.

Mr. Sopko's office wasn't formed until nine years after U.S. troops entered Afghanistan in late 2001. Over the years, his office has documented expensive construction projects in Afghanistan that were poorly built or never completed; helped identify consultants who defrauded the U.S. and Afghan governments; and found that U.S. funds aimed at stabilizing Afghanistan fed the conflict and bolstered support for the Taliban insurgents who now run the country.

"If there's one thing we learned from Afghanistan, you've got to have oversight in the beginning," he said.

Officials with the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington declined to comment.

Not all of the $53.6 billion appropriated for Ukraine represents direct transfers. About $12.5 billion will replenish Pentagon weapons stocks sent to Ukraine under President Biden's authority, according to the Congressional Research Service. About $7 billion funds U.S. troop deployments in Eastern Europe.

The U.S. has provided more than $5.3 billion in direct security assistance since Mr. Biden assumed office and about $4.6 billion since around the time sanctions on Russia. That includes: night-vision goggles, small arms, howitzer artillery systems, helicopters and drones.

A $40.1 billion spending package for Ukraine approved by Congress and signed by Mr. Biden last month includes $4 million for the State Department inspector general and $1 million for USAID's inspector general. The law calls on the Defense Department inspector general to review Pentagon spending of Ukraine funds and report back in 120 days. Mr. Sopko suggested more oversight is needed and noted that the Pentagon, State Department and USAID all have acting, not permanent, inspectors general.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, (R., Iowa), in separate letters last month to the State Department, USAID and Defense Department inspectors general, urged special attention to monitoring the funds. In response, acting Pentagon Inspector General Sean O'Donnell said his office formed a joint working group to oversee Ukraine spending with his State Department and USAID counterparts.

Given the size and rapid pace of the funding, a more powerful special inspector general modeled on Sigar should be created, some current and former officials said." [1]

 

Zelensky's government is getting famous because of corruption, it is even more corrupt than previous Afganistan government.  American military was localized in Afganistan and providing a good supervision.  Still previous Afganistan government managed to steal money in fantastic proportions. For  Zelensky's government  this is not the case.

 

1. World News: U.S. Officials Press Oversight of Billions to Ukraine
Strobel, Warren P; Lubold, Gordon. 
Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]. 14 June 2022: A.12.