How Much Aid Has US Sent Ukraine Since War Began?

The White House has approved its latest package of aid for Ukraine amid doubts whether whether the U.S. can maintain its role as Kyiv's biggest backer against Russian aggression, with Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion nearing its second anniversary.

On Wednesday, the White House signed off on another tranche of U.S. military aid to Ukraine worth $250 million and consisting of air defense, artillery, anti-tank weapons and small arms ammunition. The package under presidential drawdown authority allows Defense Department stocks to be sent to foreign countries.

The total amount of American military, financial and humanitarian aid to Ukraine since the war started on February 24, 2022, is over $79 billion according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, a German research institute that tracks international support for Kyiv.

The institute said that the figure did not include all war-related U.S. spending, such as aid to allies. Most of the historic sums are military- related, but the money is also helping Ukrainian people and institutions, including refugees, law enforcement, and independent radio broadcasters.

Over the 22 months of the war, President Joe Biden has made headline-grabbing announcements of U.S. military support for Ukraine. Hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a virtual plea to Congress for help, Biden announced in March 2022 a spending package of $800 million.

Following a summer of Ukrainian gains, Biden announced in August 2022 nearly $3bn in new military assistance to Ukraine, including anti-aircraft missiles, artillery, counter-drone defenses and radar equipment. In September 2023, during a White House meeting with Zelensky, Biden said that the U.S. will provide Ukraine with an additional $325 million in military aid.

Among its assistance to Ukraine, Washington has pledged $2.84 billion in humanitarian commitments, which includes emergency food assistance, health care refugee support and other assistance, the Kiel Institute said.

The German think tank also said that the U.S. has given $27.7 billion in financial commitments of budgetary aid through the Economic Support Fund, loans and other financial backing.

The rest of Washington's financial support is military assistance worth $48.71 billion. The Council on Foreign Relations, a U.S. think tank, drilled down into these figures and said that as of October 31, 2023, around a third of military assistance funds (31 percent) consisted of weapons and equipment from Defense Department stocks provided through presidential drawdowns.

Around a quarter (24 percent) of the money was security assistance such as training, equipment, weapons and logistics support and other assistance through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. Meanwhile, 6 percent of funds were grants and loans provided through the Foreign Military Financing Program.

Biden now wants Congress to pass a $110 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other national security needs that includes $61.4 billion for Kyiv, with about half to be used to replenish Pentagon stocks.

While there is broad support in Congress to continue helping Ukraine, an agreement on further arms has been stopped by Republicans wanting tougher security measures on the U.S.-Mexico border to be part of any military aid deal.

Pentagon spokesman Marine Lt. Col. Garron Garn said on Wednesday there was no more funding to replace the weapons taken from department stocks and that the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative funding future weapons contracts, is also out of money.

"I strongly suspect Ukraine assistance will pass," said Chris Dolan, professor of political science at Lebanon Valley College, who has written about U.S. support for Ukraine and Nato. "But it'll be part of a get-tough and strong border security and immigration deal and place in a broad legislative foreign aid package," he told Newsweek.

"The right will get what it wants as well as the moderates but the left will blame Biden for caving as he seeks the nomination."