Don’t be fooled by big numbers: Defense Express expert on Biden’s military aid to Ukraine

He talked about this on Espreso TV.

He explained, "In just a short period of about 2-3 months, starting from President Zelenskyy's visit to the United States, $8 billion in aid was announced, which can truly be called a historic attempt to provide military assistance to Ukraine. In other words, in the past few weeks, the Biden administration has allocated more funds in recent weeks than it did in the entire previous year. However, we must consider that the cost of weapons is increasing globally, and accounting discrepancies are no longer working in our favor."

In his view, it's a positive step that the Biden administration is working to provide Ukraine with a certain level of stockpiles - a "safety cushion" - before leaving office, particularly in terms of artillery ammunition, anti-tank weapons, anti-drone systems, and possibly air defense ammunition.

"However, we should be cautious not to overestimate the actual size of this ‘cushion,’ as weapons are increasing in price at an alarming rate. We shouldn’t be fooled by the big numbers, thinking that the new military aid package is simply expensive. The cost of the package may just reflect the rising prices of weapons. For example, a single missile for the Stinger man-portable air defense system now costs over $1 million, even though it used to be considered a relatively inexpensive, mass-produced missile. This is one of the realities of U.S. assistance to Ukraine that we must take into account," Kyrychevskyi concluded.

• On Saturday, December 7, the United State announced a new package of military assistance to Ukraine totaling $988 million, including HIMARS ammunition and unmanned aerial systems.