No images? Click here [link removed]

Servicemen of the 128th Separate Brigade of Territorial Defense Forces practice storming enemy positions during a tactical drill in the Zaporizhzhia direction, southeastern Ukraine. (Ukrinform/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Since Russia invaded Ukraine for the second time in eight years, Russian troops have ravaged Ukraine’s cities, raped its women, and stolen its children. But the anti-Ukraine echo chamber continues to peddle myths and half-truths about American support.

After debunking 10 myths [[link removed]] about Ukraine aid last fall, Hudson Senior Fellow Luke Coffey [[link removed]] identifies four more in a new fact sheet [[link removed]] below.

Read [[link removed]]

Key Insights

Myth: Washington is writing Kyiv “blank checks” that Americans cannot afford.

Reality: There has never been a “blank check” to Ukraine, and the vast majority of money never leaves the United States. Instead, it supports American jobs. For a modest amount—68 cents per day for each American adult—the US helps Ukraine dismantle Russia’s military without a single American firing a shot or being shot at. The US can easily afford to support Ukraine, but it cannot afford not to.

Myth: There is not enough oversight of US aid to Ukraine.

Reality: There has likely never been more accountability in place for US foreign assistance than what is available for Ukraine aid. More than 160 officials across 20 federal oversight agencies monitor US aid to Ukraine. Dozens of reports have been completed with dozens more in the works. According to the Ukraine Oversight Interagency Working Group, “Investigations related to the Ukraine response have not yet substantiated significant waste, fraud, or abuse.”

Myth: America is exponentially the largest donor to Ukraine.

Reality: According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy’s Ukraine aid tracker, total European commitments are now more than double those of the US. After totaling all aid (military, economic, humanitarian, and refugee), 20 European countries have given more to Ukraine than the US as a percentage of GDP. Europe can do more, but that is no reason for the US to stop supporting Ukraine.

Myth: Russia is a distraction. The US must focus on China.

Reality: Russia is China’s junior partner. A defeated Russia means a weaker China. Beijing is watching Western support for Kyiv, so a victorious Ukraine would strengthen Taiwan and deter China. The choice between security in Europe and security in the Indo-Pacific is a false dichotomy. In terms of US national interests, these two regions are intimately linked. In the words of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, “The security of the Indo-Pacific region cannot be separated from European security.”

Quotes may be edited for clarity and length.

Read [[link removed]] Go Deeper

A Ukrainian Victory Is Critically Important for Deterring Conflict in Taiwan [[link removed]]

At an Alexander Hamilton Society debate, Hudson Senior Fellow Luke Coffey [[link removed]] argued that, just as America’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan set the stage for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a victorious Russia would invite Chinese aggression over Taiwan. Read his opening statement here [[link removed]].

Read [[link removed]]

Foreign Policy and the 2024 Election [[link removed]]

Hudson Center on Europe and Eurasia Director Peter Rough [[link removed]] joins Arsenal of Democracy [[link removed]] host Marshall Kosloff [[link removed]] to preview the key foreign policy issues that will be front and center in the 2024 presidential election.

Listen [[link removed]]

How North Korea Could Affect the War [[link removed]]

As Kim Jong Un arrives in Russia for arms talks with Vladimir Putin, Hudson Senior Fellow Can Kasapoğlu [[link removed]] offers a defense intelligence assessment [[link removed]] of North Korea’s potential to affect Russia’s stumbling invasion campaign.

Read [[link removed]] [[link removed]] Share [link removed] Tweet [link removed] Forward [link removed] Hudson Institute

1201 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Fourth Floor

Washington, D.C. 20004 Preferences [link removed] | Unsubscribe [link removed]