In the last year of Joe Biden's presidency, important arms shipments to Ukraine were delayed for several months not only because of discussions in Congress, but also because of internal disagreements, fears of a possible escalation with Russia, and speculation about whether the US army itself has enough weapons. Reuters writes about this with reference to the results of a journalistic investigation, UNN reports.
It also revealed a chaotic system of tracking deliveries, with different definitions of when a supply of weapons was considered complete.
The longest delays in arms were observed during the months when Congress was considering a bill on additional military aid to Ukraine worth $60 billion.
Taking into account deliveries through April 2024, the Biden administration allocated $558 million per month until September of the same year.
"The average cost of supply has risen significantly to an unprecedented level since mid-2023 after Donald Trump won the presidential election," the publication writes.
By November, only about half of the total dollar amount the U.S. had pledged in 2024 from its own stockpile had been delivered, and only about 30% of the promised armored vehicles had arrived by early December, according to two congressional representatives, a U.S. official and a lawmaker familiar with the information.
According to Reuters, in the last 12 months of Biden's term, Ukraine lost almost all the land it had regained during a largely unsuccessful counteroffensive in 2023. As the end of 2024 approaches, Russian troops have seized an average of about 20 square kilometers every day, leaving behind almost the equivalent of Manhattan every three days, according to data compiled by the Institute for the Study of War.
Some analysts have said that there is no clear link between delays in US aid and Ukraine's territorial losses, citing Kyiv's inability to address other problems with personnel, morale, and how Ukraine uses its weapons.
Ukrainian officials have privately told Washington officials that they do not expect major offensives in 2024, a senior U.S. official said.