The U.S. Has Now Spent More in Ukraine Than in the First 5 Years in Afghanistan

The United States is fighting a proxy war in Ukraine against Russian aggression, and we’re not doing it on the cheap. The Biden administration announced on Friday that we were sending another $400 million in military aid to Ukraine. This comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed victory over the eastern Luhansk region last week.

Putin jumped the gun a little, although Russian troops hold the upper hand throughout most of the region. The problem for Putin is that those pesky Ukrainians refuse to surrender. And the United States is making their continuing resistance possible by giving Kyiv high-powered weapons to fight with.

To date, we’ve spent $8 billion in military assistance to the Ukrainian army with tens of billions of dollars in military hardware in the pipeline. Congress authorized $54 billion in military and other aid to Ukraine — some of which went to our NATO allies to help us defend Kyiv.

And therein lies the problem. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, NATO countries have not increased their military expenditures since Russia invaded Ukraine.

Burden-sharing is a perennial issue: Even after Russia’s assault on Ukraine, the majority of members fall short of their commitment to spend at least 2 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defense. The laggards include, most importantly, Germany, although it has taken steps recently to meet that target as a multiyear average. Moreover, in the weeks ahead, the alliance’s resolve will be tested, as strains over rising inflation and concerns over energy and food supply mount across the Euro-Atlantic region. I

At the Madrid summit, NATO boldly defined the threat from Russia as “the most significant and direct threat to Allies’ security and to peace and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area.” And yet our erstwhile allies can’t even pony up for their own defense when the Russian bear is at the door?

Don’t worry. The U.S. will spend the money for them. According to ForeignAssistance.gov, the U.S. has already spent more on security assistance to Ukraine than during the first five years in Afghanistan.

Already, some NATO countries are agitating for a negotiated peace with Russia that would force Ukraine to sacrifice territory. President Zelenskyy shot that down immediately. But the proposal gives us a good idea of NATO’s commitment — or lack of one — to Ukraine’s independence. Trading territory for peace has been tried, and while Hitler loved it, the Czechs and Poles did not.

The alliance has been crowing about a “renewal” after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Indeed, Finland and Sweden have applied for membership. But an alliance is only as strong as its weakest member. Do Americans really want Finland or any other small nation to determine whether we go to war with a nuclear power like Russia?