The adviser to the Secretary of the United States Department of Defense (USA) for International Security Affairs, Celeste Wallander, affirmed that Ukraine must begin to pay, on its own, for the supply of weapons that have been made since February of last year.
“Right now (the Ukrainians) do not have a budget of that magnitude (…), but we have to get (the Ukrainians) to start their own defense spending planning,” Wallander said on Tuesday, quoted by HispanTv.
The statements were made in front of the Budget Committee of the House of Representatives of the US Congress.
In his speech, Wallander pointed out that Washington did not deliver all the requested weapons to kyiv, while the Ukrainian authorities “have not made any major purchases from American companies.”
It should be remembered that, last February, the Control and Accountability Committee demanded the Pentagon, the Department of State and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to present reports on aid expenditures to Kiev.
This, to ensure that these funds are “protected from waste, fraud and abuse.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer had previously said US lawmakers approved $113 billion in military, economic and humanitarian aid for Ukraine last year.
However, one year after the start of Russia’s special military operations on Ukraine, the United States announced a new $2 billion aid package.
The new aid includes additional ammunition for artillery, Himars rocket systems, anti-drone and electronic warfare detection equipment, mine clearance equipment, secure communications, support teams and surveillance drones.
It does not include military equipment requested by the Ukrainian army, such as fighter jets and long-range missiles.
