What will Ukraine get from the $40 billion allocated by the US Congress

On May 18, the US Senate voted to allocate $40 billion in military aid to Ukraine. But, as it turned out, about $6 billion was allocated directly for the supply of weapons.

In general, the layout is as follows:

• $6 billion for training, equipment and weapons for the military;
• $ 8.7 billion – to replenish stocks of American weapons;
• $ 3.9 billion – to help the European command of the armed forces of the United States;
• $5 billion – to solve the problem of the global food crisis caused by the war in Ukraine;
• almost $ 9 billion – economic assistance to Kyiv;
• about $900 million – to support Ukrainian refugees.

Among the new weapons that Ukraine could get from the United States are Harpoon anti-ship missiles to overcome the Russian blockade of the Black Sea, Reuters reports citing its own sources. The firing range of these missiles reaches 300 kilometers – that is, they can hit Russian ships blocking Ukraine’s exit to the Black Sea. However, such deliveries have not been officially confirmed. But if they take place, it could change the situation with the blockade of Ukrainian ports by the Russians.

The Washington Post also reports that the United States will transfer Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems to Ukraine. They should be included in the new aid package. Long-range artillery will also be placed there. However, “Patriots” are very expensive, about 5 billion Poland paid for four batteries. Despite the fact that only six out of 40 billion are allocated for armament to Ukraine. In general, we must wait for official confirmation of this information.

What reaction to expect from the Kremlin?

A few days before Congress passed the Lend-Lease bill, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said that the United States wanted Russia’s military capabilities to be weakened to such an extent that it would no longer be able to attack neighboring countries. And now many are asking the question whether Lend-Lease today, like 80 years ago, can change the course of events – now in the war of Russia against Ukraine. And what will be the reaction of the Kremlin?

“We don’t know if there will be enough military aid for Ukraine to defeat Putin,” says historian Laderman. “The world looks different today, and Putin is not Hitler. But in dealing with Putin’s aggressive war, Western statesmen are a dilemma that their predecessors had in 1941. For Hitler, the Lend-Lease Act was tantamount to US entry into the war – even without a formal announcement.”

According to Laderman, the West should now closely monitor Russia’s reaction to Lend-Lease 2.0. At the same time, the historian notes, “Putin has already seen himself embroiled in a conflict with the West, it makes no difference to him whether indirect or direct support is provided to Ukraine. Therefore, it is unlikely that the adoption of the Lend-Lease law will be a turning point for Putin.”

Military analyst Wolfgang Richter, in turn, believes that the United States should be very careful, especially in rhetoric. “The United States has repeatedly stressed that it is not a party to the conflict in the war in Ukraine,” he says, commenting on the words of Lloyd Austin. destroy Russia as a state, otherwise it will lead to an even greater escalation of the conflict.”

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