Photo: Archive/STAFF/AFP/Getty Images
The Pentagon overcounted the value of weapons and other military aid that he sent to Ukraine at “at least $3 billion,” Defense Department officials said Thursday.
The error, which was first reported by Reuters Agency, is seen as the responsibility of the Biden Administrationand it was an accounting error in assessing the value of the US military support to Ukraine to date, which frees up approximately $3 billion more in military aid for that country at war with Russia, an amount of money that will likely ease the need for Congress to pass an additional aid package before the end of the fiscal year in September, several congressional and administration officials told CNN.
Lawmakers and congressional staff were informed of the error Thursday, drawing criticism from Republicans in the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services committees, who said the error reduced the amount of US support that went to Ukraine before the counteroffensive.
“The disclosure of a three billion dollar accounting error discovered two months ago and only today shared with Congress is extremely troubling, to say the least. These funds could have been used for additional supplies and weapons for the upcoming counteroffensive, rather than rationing funds for the remainder of the fiscal year,” House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul and House Armed Services Chairman wrote. Chamber, Mike Rogers, in a statement on Thursday.
Accounting error leaves positive balance
Before this new information came to light, the Pentagon had said that just over $2.3 billion remained available for Ukraine’s Presidential Retirement Authority.
Now, due to this revelation, there is still about $5.3 billion available, far more than even the largest single package provided to Ukraine.
The accounting error occurred because, when the United States transferred weapons to Ukraine, they counted the value of the replacement gun rather than the value of the actual gun, defense officials explained. This increased the cost of each package, because new weapons cost more than old weapons, and resulted in the false assumption that more of the funds had been used.
The United States has “committed more than $30.4 billion in total security assistance to Ukraine since the start of the Biden Administration,” according to a Pentagon statement.
Keep reading:
– Russia hits Kyiv with an “exceptional number of missiles” by land, sea and air
– CIA releases video to recruit Russian spies disgruntled by war in Ukraine
– Ukraine celebrates “first success” in offensive in Bakhmut