The Pentagon revealed Tuesday that an accounting error has added $6.2 billion in military funding to Ukraine.
Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh shared the announcement on Wednesday after calculation concerning the previous physical year.
Audit all Ukraine funding. https://t.co/gtFgeCqMKA
— Rep. Eric Burlison (@RepEricBurlison) June 21, 2023
“It’s just going to go back into the pot of money that we have allocated” for the future Pentagon stock drawdowns,” said Singh.
"The revelation comes as Ukraine moves ahead with the early stages its counteroffensive, in an effort to dislodge the Kremlin’s forces from territory they’ve occupied since a full-scale invasion in February 2022. The counteroffensive has come up against heavily mined terrain and reinforced defensive fortifications, according to Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the commander in chief of Ukraine’s armed forces," the Associated Press added.
Pentagon says accounting error frees up $6.2 billion for additional Ukraine military aid https://t.co/kFR1fpcy3x
— Axios (@axios) June 22, 2023
"The error frustrated top Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services committees, who said the extra assistance should have been given to Ukraine before its counteroffensive," Axios reported.
"It also has drawn criticism from other members of Congress who have previously backed plans to oppose future aid packages to Ukraine," it added.
$6.2 BILLION dollar error! And yet the Senate won’t vote for an independent watchdog for Ukraine funding. Almost like Senators don’t want to know … https://t.co/R5rtJja2gR
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) June 21, 2023
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) also tweeted his concerns over the extra money for Ukraine.
"$6.2 BILLION dollar error! And yet the Senate won’t vote for an independent watchdog for Ukraine funding. Almost like Senators don’t want to know," he wrote.
The report also comes as a growing number of lawmakers are calling for an audit of aid provided to Ukraine over concerns about potential misuse of funding.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) has also stated that she plans to oppose the military budget if it includes additional funding for Ukraine. Other GOP leaders are also considering similar actions over future bills to support Ukraine, especially in the House where a growing number of Republican leaders have voiced opposition to additional Ukrainian funding.
The concerning financial report adds to billions of dollars in additional spending to support the people of Ukraine to defend their country against Russia. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin continues his military actions despite the efforts and widespread sanctions from the West seeking to oppose his operation.
