U.S. cautions Ukraine on aid as public support slips

U.S. cautions Ukraine on aid as public support slips

Top officials from the Departments of Defense and State in addition to the U.S. Agency for International Development just wrapped up a visit to Ukraine, delivering a warning of sorts about American aid at a time when Republicans are driving a drop in public support for Kyiv.

During their trip last week, leaders from the offices of inspector general from all three entities delivered a message that may be translated as: Be prepared to account for every part we offer you. And keep fighting corruption.

Tracking American military and economic assistance and helping Ukraine expunge rot from its government aren’t recent initiatives. Each have gone on for no less than a decade. But let’s just say the Republican takeover of the House hasn’t exactly diminished the urgency of knowing what went where.

The official acting because the State Department’s inspector general, Diana Shaw said in a joint statement the trip “afforded us the chance to directly communicate American taxpayer expectations of transparency and accountability to the Ukrainian government.”

“The importance of that message can’t be understated,” Shaw continued. The State Department, working with the Pentagon and USAID, “is committed to rooting out any fraud, waste, or corrupt activities that may divert the help so pivotal to Ukraine’s ultimate success.”

The official acting because the USAID inspector general, Nicole Angarella, said in the identical joint statement: “It’s critical for the American people to trust within the integrity of taxpayer dollars sent to support Ukraine and its people.”

“The OIG leaders also underscored the necessity for independence, transparency, and accountability in Ukrainian institutions, including having adequate systems, staffing, and resources in place to make sure the integrity of presidency operations,” the statement said. That features anti-corruption efforts.

And the Americans “emphasized the importance of receiving timely and transparent access to information from the federal government of Ukraine to boost the OIGs’ ability to conduct independent audits and investigations related to U.S.-funded programs and operations.”

That or, one supposes, their ability to reply questions from Congress.

There are a variety of mechanisms, each in government and the private sector, already in place for tracking American and allied aid. The inspectors general — you’ll be able to consider them as internal investigators — laid out lots of them earlier this month.  

And in a recent conversation with The Day by day 202, Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) said he was not especially nervous about American weapons ending up on the black market “in no small part since the Ukrainians are using every part we send them.”

“I even have conveyed repeatedly and on to Ukrainian leaders concerns that we must proceed to strengthen the transparency and accountability measures for all American aid going to Ukraine,” Coons said. (The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv and Poland-based U.S. forces are racking weapons and aid, he noted.)

However the context for the OIGs’ visit includes mounting opposition from Republicans to sending more assistance to assist Ukraine beat back Russia. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) warned last yr the GOP wouldn’t write a “blank check” to Kyiv.

Former president Donald Trump — perhaps diminished in his control of the GOP, but surely not dismissed — has repeatedly expressed admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Trump wing of the party has been noticeably more against Ukraine aid.

My colleague Meryl Kornfield documented on Tuesday a few of the domestic political shifts in attitudes toward assistance.

The Pew Research Center’s latest polling found “[a]s Russia’s invasion approaches its first anniversary, Americans largely back some type of aid, but support for the Biden administration’s approach is fading, especially amongst Republicans,” she reported.

More findings from Meryl:

• 4 in 10 Americans approve of Biden’s approach.
• A couple of quarter of Americans say an excessive amount of aid is flowing to Ukraine, “up six percentage points since September and 19 points since March, shortly after the war began.”
• 31 percent say the US is giving the appropriate amount.
• One-fifth would support additional aid, while 20 percent said they were undecided.

“The share of Americans who imagine the US has provided an excessive amount of support through economic assistance and weapons is greater amongst Republicans, 40 percent, whilst GOP leaders remain divided,” Meryl reported.

We won’t really know the way much congressional support has ebbed until the subsequent vote. But Biden hasn’t slowed aid to Ukraine because the midterm election. Quite the alternative. And on this conflict, yesterday’s red line can turn into tomorrow’s green light.

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Thanks for reading. See you tomorrow.