(Ken Silva, Headline USA) The Government Accountability Office released a report Thursday on the roughly $176 billion the U.S. has provided to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion, revealing that about $23 billion has gone towards funding Ukraine’s civilian government, including its border security.
Along with the rockets, tanks, bombs, guns, ammo and other equipment, the Biden administration has given billions to fund its teachers, first responders, healthcare workers and bureaucrats—as well as “border security agencies,” according to the GAO.
GAO released a report on Ukraine spending yesterday, revealing that the aid has funded the country's border patrol agencies pic.twitter.com/KJUiLqBXSx
— Ken Silva (@JD_Cashless) May 31, 2024
“About $22.9 billion was dedicated for direct budget support for the government of Ukraine … the Ukrainian government and citizens are the ultimate beneficiaries of this assistance,” the report said.
“Agency documents report that these funds have been used to reimburse the Ukrainian government for authorized expenses with the goal of benefiting teachers and first responders, vulnerable and displaced individuals, helping Ukrainians survive the winter, and more.”
Adding insult to injury for those who’d rather see the Ukraine aid spent on U.S. border security, some $3.1 billion has been obligated to helping Ukrainian refugees settling in the U.S., the GAO report also revealed. That $3.1 billion apparently helped provide up to 12 months of cash and medical assistance for up to 100,000 Ukrainian nationals, according to the GAO, which explained that many of the refugees have “settled in high cost of living areas.”
Some of the Ukraine funds even went to assisting humanitarian responses in other parts of the world, including in Africa and the Middle East, the report said.
Additionally, the State Department reportedly allocated $80 million in Ukraine aid to enhance Taiwan’s maritime domain awareness.
If all that weren’t enough, some of the aid is funding propaganda to convince Americans to spend more on Ukraine.
According to the GAO, $14 million went to U.S.-sponsored media outlets such as Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
“Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty developed new journalism programs for internally displaced people and Ukrainian refugee populations,” the report said.
“Some of the VOA and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty activities are designed to provide an alternative to the Russian narrative on the situation in Ukraine.”
The report only covers the money spent through Dec. 31, and thus doesn’t include the most recent round of $65 billion in aid pushed through by House Speaker Mike Johnson and his cronies.
Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.
