US Prepares $3BN More In Ukraine Defense Aid To “Fight For Years To Come”

The Biden administration is set to roll out with another $3 billion in Ukraine defense aid, including funds to train and equip Ukrainian forces “to fight for years to come,” according to US officials cited in the Associated Press.

Also, higher energy prices for years to come? higher food prices? greater scarcity? It appears precisely this is what US policy-makers and Pentagon planners are settling in for: “As Russia’s war on Ukraine drags on, U.S. security assistance is shifting to a longer-term campaign that will likely keep more American military troops in Europe into the future, including imminent plans to announce an additional roughly $3 billion in aid to train and equip Ukrainian forces to fight for years to come, U.S. officials said,” according to the AP report.

The package is expected to be officially announced Wednesday, which is exactly the day the war hits the six month mark – and on the occasion of Ukraine’s Independence Day, celebrating 31 years since Soviet rule ended there. 

Like prior pledged packages, now at 18 rounds and counting since Feb.24, the weapons systems may not see the battlefield for a long time, again underscoring this concept of preparations for a ‘long war’ – and America taking a “proxy” backseat with Ukrainians at the front lines. 

“The money will fund contracts for drones, weapons and other equipment that may not see the battlefront for a year or two, they said,” the AP continues, referencing defense officials.

As for the deepened US military footprint and presence in Europe in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which opens the door for the eventuality of direct US-Russia confrontation, the Pentagon is preparing for an expanded, longer term presence. 

“Unlike most previous packages, the new funding is largely aimed at helping Ukraine secure its medium- to long-term defense posture, according to officials familiar with the matter.”

Reuters notes that “The package uses funds from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) appropriated by Congress to allow the Biden administration to procure weapons from industry rather than taking weapons from existing U.S. weapons stocks.”

Former US Congressman Ron Paul summarized the state of things best in describing where foreign policy meets domestic, and the near future impact on every American: 

Last Friday the Pentagon announced that yet another $775 million would be sent to Ukraine. As Antiwar.com reported, it was the eighteenth weapons package to Ukraine in six months. Has there ever been a more idiotic US intervention in history?

Supporters of this proxy war may celebrate more aid to Ukraine, but the reality is that it is in no way aid to Ukraine. That’s not how the system works. It is money created out of thin air by the Fed and appropriated by Congress to be spent propping up the politically-connected military-industrial complex. It is a big check written by middle America to rich people who run Raytheon and Lockheed Martin.

US TO ANNOUNCE $3B IN ARMS PACKAGE TO UKRAINE: AP

To enforce all of this spending, the US is bulking up IRS audits on citizens. Enjoy

— The_Real_Fly (@The_Real_Fly) August 23, 2022

It’s the same story going back especially to Iraq, Afghanistan, or even Syria, and every scenario of ‘endless’ conflict: “Americans watch their budget being stretched to the limit while the Beltway fat-cats loosen their belts to continue enjoying the gravy train,” Dr.Paul writes.