The one major issue most Americans have had regarding the aid going to Ukraine is the lack of accountability.
That all came to a head this week after an Inspector General's report found that this administration did not adequately track $1 billion in military aid, equivalent to nearly 40,000 weapons.
Talking Points…
- Missing aid reported
- Pentagon responds
- Analysis
From the outset, conservatives have raised concerns that there was a lack of accountability concerning the military aid being sent to Ukraine. We already know that corruption in Ukraine reallocated funds and weapons early on. That was confirmed in an August 25, 2023, report on Politico.
Now, the Department of Defense Inspector General has reported that more than $1 billion in weapons were not properly tracked by DoD officials. The report states:
"From a monetary perspective, the delinquent serial numbers account for more than $1.005 billion of the total $1.699 billion (59 percent of the total value) of EEUM‑designated defense articles as of June 2, 2023.
"Until those challenges are resolved, the DoD will not be able to fully account for all of the more than $1.699 billion in EEUM‑designated defense articles provided to Ukraine."
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby started the spin as soon as the report came out. He stated:
"Let me broadly say, we have for many, many months now been interested in improving and improving accountability over the end use of material that is provided to Ukraine. We have had that conversation with our Ukrainian partners and they share our concerns about accountability.
"Now, we are grateful for the work that the DoD did, that was a significant body of work and we appreciate that. We're going to go through this. I know DoD has already gone through this and reacted to it."
Simply put, this is unacceptable, and it is just more to pile on to the plate of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who was diagnosed with cancer, never told the White House, and was off the grid for several days after complications without notifying the White House.
The excuses by Kirby are utterly ridiculous, as he went on to say:
"We have a small footprint at the embassy of military men and women who are working on this accountability.
"We don't want to, nor should we be expected to, put them in greater harm's way, closer to the front, to inspect every little shipment and how it's being used. I mean, it's a combat environment."
I would counter that by stating that if you are sending hundreds of billions of dollars in military aid to a country, then you owe it to the American people, who are, after all, funding this aid, to have a more significant presence to properly account for all of the assistance that has been sent to Ukraine.
This administration is completely inept, and it continues to prove it day in and day out. The inmates are running the asylum here, yet the media continues to give this administration a free pass on virtually every mistake and gaffe that takes place.
