If I told you the US government had $10 billion lying around to be spent on an important project, I’m sure you could come up with something worthy. Maybe we would give 10 million families $1,000 each to help with gas and groceries. Or invest the funds in reshoring manufactures lost to globalization. Or give raises to nurses’ aides caring for the elderly, or hiring bonuses to teachers, police officers, and drug-rehab workers.
I wonder, though, how many Americans would put “sending drones and artillery to Ukraine” on their list. And yet that’s exactly what the US government has done. The total amount of military assistance Washington has shipped to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February now stands at $10.6 billion. This includes the latest shipment: $775 million worth of mine-resistant vehicles, drones, and new missile systems. It’s Uncle Sam’s 19th package of aid for Ukraine.
The goal, according to defense officials, is to help the Ukrainians claw back more territory from Russian forces. One senior US official told The Wall Street Journal, “We will continue to consult with the Ukrainians to make sure that we are providing them what they need, when they need it.”
Really? What about what ordinary Americans need, when we need it? What exactly is America’s national interest in helping Ukraine retake more territory from the Russians?