The Pentagon Appoints Controller for Aid to Ukraine
The US Department of Defense has announced the appointment of a lead controller for American aid destined for Ukraine. Robert Storch, the Inspector General of the department, has been named to this crucial role.
This development was revealed by the Pentagon's Office of the Inspector General.
"We are well-prepared for this new assignment. In fulfilling this duty, I look forward to continuing our close cooperation with our partners in the state and the USAID Office of Inspector General, as well as the broader oversight community, as we perform this critically important work for US taxpayers," remarked Storch.
Within the framework of "Atlantic Resolve," the US Congress allocated $113 billion in security, economic, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and other nations affected by the conflict since February 2022. This includes support for operations by the European Command of the US Armed Forces and related assistance to American military personnel.
Storch will assume his position on October 18 and will work closely with the US Department of State and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) "to ensure comprehensive and effective oversight" of US aid in response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Robert Storch will be based directly in Ukraine and will oversee an on-site monitoring group responsible for American assistance in the security sector, which has exceeded $43.7 billion since the beginning of the Biden administration.
According to Megan Reed, a spokesperson for the Office of the Inspector General, this marks the first time that inspection personnel have been present in Ukraine since Russia's invasion in February 2022.
The creation of this new team comes at a crucial time for assistance to Ukraine. The Biden administration recently requested an additional $24 billion from Congress, including $13 billion for security assistance, as President Biden and other senior officials in the administration pledged to continue US assistance to Ukraine "as long as necessary."
However, an increasing number of Republicans have begun to question the wisdom of spending billions of dollars in Ukraine and are calling for enhanced oversight to ensure that aid is being used appropriately.
The calls from Republicans for increased oversight are not uniform. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell stated that there is already "an unprecedented understanding of how nearly 30 types of Western weapons and transport systems are being used by Ukraine, right down to serial numbers."
However, despite reports of potential misallocation of US-provided aid, inspectors have not identified significant violations associated with it.