This is discussed in a Reuters investigation. The agency conducted an analysis of official communications regarding U.S. military aid to Ukraine, as well as interviews with more than 40 Ukrainian and American officials, congressional aides, and lawmakers.
According to the Reuters analysis, by the end of September 2024, the Biden administration had been approving aid of approximately $558 million per month.
After Donald Trump's victory in the presidential elections in November, the average cost of deliveries sharply increased.
The Biden team referred to the aid announcements from October to Inauguration Day as a “surge.” However, in reality, the monthly assistance from the U.S. only reached an average level of $1.1 billion per month, which was established during the first two years of the war.
Overall, by November, aid had been delivered amounting to half of the total sum that the U.S. promised to allocate in 2024. Additionally, only about 30% of the promised armored vehicles arrived in early December, as noted by Reuters sources.
According to the agency, the “restrained” aid deliveries during the summer were linked to U.S. officials' concerns that American military stocks were dwindling. Furthermore, decisions regarding deliveries were stalled not only due to months of delays in the U.S. Congress but also due to internal debates about the risks of escalation with Russia.
Moreover, the chaotic arms tracking system added to the confusion, with even the definition of “delivered” varying among U.S. military units.
A U.S. official told Reuters that since then, the Pentagon has updated internal guidelines to clarify which services are responsible for delivery. However, it remains unclear how widely this rule has been applied and whether it is being applied retroactively.
According to the agency, when the Biden administration faced the risk that agreed-upon aid to Ukraine could simply expire due to deadlines, then-national security adviser Jake Sullivan sent the Pentagon a series of memos urging them to expedite deliveries.
According to two senior U.S. officials, he set deadlines and demanded regular updates on key types of weapons. The Pentagon would have to move weaponry averaging $1.2 billion monthly—this is the same level as in 2022 and 2023, but double what was moved over the previous six months.
The Pentagon did not provide Reuters with an overall estimate of how much promised weaponry from U.S. stocks was delivered to Ukraine in the last year of Biden's presidency. A department representative stated that as of January 10, the U.S. had delivered 89% of critical munitions and 94% of anti-tank systems.
The Biden administration's plan includes delivering more armored vehicles next summer. Another U.S. program—through the American military contracting system—foresees weapon deliveries amounting to up to $30 billion in the coming years.
Co-author: Yuri Shtokaluk