US Aid To Ukraine Is Falling Apart As Russian Aid For Crimea Booms

The U.S. provided a shipment of Bradley Fighting Vehicles, howitzer artillery and tanks to aid Ukraine in its ongoing fight against Russian-backed rebels, but there’s a few problems: the equipment is breaking, being mothballed, and a lot of it is not going to Ukraine, according to a recent piece in the Wall Street Journal by Tim Gibbons-Neff.

“If the Americans are going to send us equipment, don’t send us secondhand stuff,” said a Ukrainian special forces commander.

The commander’s concerns are certainly warranted. Some of the Humvees given to Ukraine are over 30 years old. A company unit of 120 soldiers received a single bullet-proof vest which was several years old, making it essentially useless considering body armor often has a limited shelf life.

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According to Boris Zilberman, an expert on Russia and deputy director of congressional relations for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies: “The US had ample time to provide the Ukrainians with adequate gear which if these reports are accurate, failed to do so. The US could be doing a lot more to beef up Ukraine’s defensive capabilities – or at minimum give adequate equipment to replace the faulty equipment already delivered.”

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Read the full article here.