The American Military Paradox: Why Ukraine Deserves Our Aid

The United States has long touted its military might as a cornerstone of global leadership – spending a staggering $916 billion in 2023 alone, more than the next nine countries combined. Yet when Ukraine faces an existential threat from Russia, opponents of U.S. aid argue we should hold back, citing costs or isolationist principles. This stance is not just shortsighted – it’s a betrayal of promises made, a dismissal of Ukraine’s sacrifices for us, and a willful ignorance of Russia’s danger. If our military isn’t for defending allies like Ukraine, then what’s all that money been for?

The Broken Promise of 1994

In 1994, Ukraine made a monumental sacrifice: it surrendered approximately 1,900 strategic nuclear warheads, 176 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), and 44 strategic bombers – the world’s third-largest nuclear arsenal at the time. The Budapest Memorandum specifically promised that the U.S., UK, and Russia would “respect the independence and sovereignty and existing borders of Ukraine” and “refrain from the threat or use of force” against it. Ukraine trusted these guarantees when giving up weapons that could have deterred the very invasion it now faces.

Fast forward to 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea, and 2022 when it launched a full-scale invasion. Where was the U.S.? Not on the battlefield, but behind a wall of sanctions and limited aid packages. Congress delayed a critical $61.4 billion aid package – passed in April 2024 after months of wrangling – during which Ukrainian forces lost ground in Donbas due to ammunition shortages in late 2023 and early 2024. Our hesitation cost Ukrainian lives and territory.

And Ukraine hasn’t just taken – they’ve given. From 2001 to 2021, Ukraine deployed over 2,500 troops to Afghanistan. Ukrainian special forces conducted high-risk operations alongside American units, and their Il-76 transport aircraft provided crucial logistical support when NATO supply lines were threatened. They stood by us for two decades, proving their loyalty. Now, as they face Russia’s onslaught, those against aid turn their backs, claiming we owe them nothing.

Russia: The Real Threat We’re Ignoring

Opponents of aid often downplay Russia, framing it as a regional nuisance rather than a global menace. This is delusional. Beyond the 2016 election interference, Russia’s GRU executed the devastating NotPetya cyberattack in 2017, causing $10 billion in global damages. In 2020, they penetrated SolarWinds software, compromising thousands of organizations, including the Treasury and Commerce Departments. In 2022, their hackers attempted to disable Ukrainian power plants while simultaneously launching missile strikes – a terrifying preview of hybrid warfare capabilities.

Supporting Ukraine isn’t charity – it’s self-defense. Every Russian tank destroyed in Ukraine is one that won’t threaten Poland or Lithuania. For perspective, the U.S. spent $2.31 trillion in Afghanistan over 20 years. The $65.9 billion in military aid sent to Ukraine since 2022 has destroyed nearly 50% of Russia’s combat power without a single American casualty. This is arguably the most cost-effective defense spending in recent American history.

The Military-Industrial Complex: Where the Money Really Goes

If our military isn’t for defending allies like Ukraine, what’s it for? Look no further than the military-industrial complex that President Eisenhower warned about in 1961. Lockheed Martin received $47.8 billion from taxpayers in 2023 alone. Their F-35 program is now projected to cost $2 trillion over its lifetime – up from earlier $1.7 trillion estimates – despite persistent failures to meet basic performance standards. Meanwhile, key congressmen who opposed Ukraine aid packages – including House members who delayed the 2023-2024 supplemental – received a combined $15.1 million in campaign contributions from defense contractors between 2020 and 2024.

The irony? These same representatives who claim fiscal responsibility over a $65.9 billion Ukraine military aid package had no qualms approving an $886 billion defense budget for 2024 that includes $3.2 billion for the troubled Littoral Combat Ship program,- vessels the Navy admits are unsuitable for combat. Ukraine could have purchased approximately 320 Patriot missiles with that money alone.

Israel vs. Ukraine: A Tale of Misplaced Billions

The disparity in our aid priorities becomes starker when examining Israel. In January 2025, the Trump administration fast-tracked $10.8 billion in military aid to Israel – moving at lightning speed compared to the six-month delay Ukraine faced for its $61.4 billion package in 2023-2024. Since 2022, Ukraine has received approximately $107 billion in total aid (including military, financial, and humanitarian) while fighting a nuclear power with a population of 144 million. Israel, facing Hamas (estimated 30,000 fighters) and Hezbollah, has received over $310 billion in total U.S. aid since 1948, including $22.9 billion in military aid alone since October 2023.

This isn’t about opposing aid to Israel. It’s about the glaring inconsistency in how we distribute our resources. Russia’s nuclear arsenal includes 5,580 warheads – over 1,550 of which are deployed and ready to use – as of 2024 estimates. Their conventional forces, despite losses in Ukraine, still boast over 10,000 tanks and 554,000 active personnel. Hamas and Hezbollah, while dangerous, possess no nuclear weapons and no ability to fundamentally alter the global order. Yet our funding priorities suggest the opposite assessment.

Historical Lessons We’re Ignoring

America has been here before. The Marshall Plan – $13.3 billion (equivalent to $173 billion today) allocated between 1948-1952 – rebuilt Western Europe after WWII and prevented Soviet domination. This investment created stable democracies and economic partners that returned the investment many times over. Conversely, our abandonment of South Vietnam in 1975 sent a message to allies that American promises had expiration dates, emboldening adversaries.

The cost of insufficient aid to Ukraine today will dwarf the price of proper support. If Russia succeeds, Poland (with 38 million people) or the Baltic states would face imminent threat, triggering NATO’s Article 5 and forcing American troops into direct conflict. Prevention now is exponentially cheaper than war later – economically, politically, and morally.

The Path Forward

Congress should establish a dedicated Ukraine Security Assistance Fund with multi-year appropriations, removing aid from the political cycle. We should repurpose portions of the F-35 budget – specifically the $412 million requested for “software improvements” in the 2025 budget – toward additional HIMARS systems for Ukraine. The Pentagon’s Inspector General has identified $169 billion in unaccounted-for assets since 2020 due to poor procurement oversight – redirecting even half would transform Ukraine’s defensive capabilities.

Most importantly, we must recognize that Ukraine’s fight aligns perfectly with what our massive military budget should accomplish: deterring aggression, defending democratic allies, and maintaining the rules-based international order without direct American casualties. Every dollar sent to Ukraine serves these goals more effectively than billions wasted on contractor overruns and unnecessary weapons systems.

The Reckoning

Those against aiding Ukraine can’t have it both ways. If our $916 billion military isn’t for defending allies we’ve sworn to protect – allies who’ve fought beside us for decades – then it’s a sham. We told Ukraine to disarm, promising our shield. They helped us in Afghanistan for 20 years. Now, facing a Russian threat that endangers us all, we waver, letting the military-industrial complex siphon funds while we pour billions into conflicts with far less strategic impact.

History judges nations not just by their promises, but by whether they keep them when it’s difficult. The $65.9 billion in military aid we’ve sent Ukraine since 2022 represents just 2.8% of what we spent in Afghanistan – yet it’s already done more to weaken our primary geopolitical adversary than two decades in the Middle East. Ukraine’s fight is our fight in every sense – strategically, morally, and historically. To abandon them now wouldn’t just betray Ukraine – it would betray everything America claims to stand for on the world stage.