Pentagon finds accounting errors in $2 billion in aid to Ukraine
Kyiv • UNN
The US Department of Defense has found a $2 billion accounting error in estimates of military aid to Ukraine. The total amount of unspent funds due to the error increased to $8.2 billion.
The U.S. Department of Defense has discovered another $2 billion accounting error in its estimates of military aid sent to Ukraine, according to a report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) on July 25, UNN reports .
Details
On June 21, 2023, the Pentagon announced that it had overestimated the cost of weapons sent to Ukraine over the past two years by $6.2 billion. Now, the discovery of additional errors brings the total unspent amount to $8.2 billion.
The GAO report states that it is difficult for the Pentagon to accurately estimate the cost of defense products supplied to Ukraine.
The US Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) allows the president to release equipment from US stockpiles, such as munitions, vehicles, and medical supplies, to respond to crises abroad. The PDA stems from the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.
According to the GAO, the Pentagon's efforts “to properly evaluate defense items for reduction are hampered because the Foreign Assistance Act does not clearly define certain terms and the Department of Defense does not provide guidance on how to evaluate PDAs.
Because of the mistakes, the Defense Department may send Ukraine another $2 billion in weapons to cover the amount already approved by US President Joe Biden.
Recall
On July 3, the U.S. Department of Defense announced a new $150 million military assistance package for Ukraine. The aid includes air defense equipment, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), artillery shells, and other critical items from US stockpiles.
