Five numbers to remember about US aid to Ukraine

Andrei Illarionov July 18, 2023

The amount of U.S. security assistance to Ukraine since February 24, 2022, has been a confusing game of guesswork. Estimates vary significantly depending on coverage and types of aid, its legal status, author or institutional sponsorship of the estimates, and dates for which they are given. Some widely used numbers are subject to inaccuracies and errors, as well as to deliberate distortions.

The following report, based on the U.S. official data, aims to provide readers with the most comprehensive and accurate estimates possible of American security assistance to Ukraine – appropriated, authorized, contracted – as well as actually delivered – as of July 1, 2023.

What can be concluded from the official figures is shocking. The Biden administration has lagged far behind Congress in committing American resources to Ukraine. Support for Ukraine represents a tiny fraction of U.S. defense aid to the United Kingdom, Soviet Union, or France in World War II. For reasons still unclear, the White House has provided Ukraine with zero Lend-Lease assistance.

Key Takeaways:

To assess U.S. security assistance to Ukraine in the last 16 months of the Russian aggression against Ukraine there are five main (rounded) numbers to remember: 49 – 40 – 17 – 6 – 0. As of July 1, 2023:

– Congress has allocated approximately $49 billion in security assistance to Ukraine;

– out of the $49 billion Congress has allocated, the Biden administration authorized $40 billion in security assistance to Ukraine;

– the actual delivery of U.S. security assistance to the territory of Ukraine was $17 billion;

– the Pentagon contracted manufacturers to produce defense items for Ukraine in coming months and years for $6 billion;

– the Biden administration used $0 from the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act, adopted by the U.S. Congress and signed by President Biden into law on May 9, 2022.

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