Pentagon is offered to change monitoring of defense assistance provided to Ukraine
Photo: The Pentagon has been given recommendations for monitoring assistance to Ukraine (Getty Images)
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) of the United States has provided recommendations to the Department of Defense regarding ensuring the tracking and proper utilization of American-made equipment provided to Ukraine as part of defense assistance, according to the GAO report and Reuters.
The document states that since February 2022, the United States has provided Ukraine with over $40 billion in security assistance, including an "unprecedented amount of equipment." Additionally, the report notes that delivery of military equipment from the Pentagon to Ukraine sometimes takes weeks, and there are no clear guidelines within the agency for tracking delivery data, with "delivery data potentially being inaccurate."
The management also points out that the defense department has changed its approach to monitoring equipment being sent to Ukraine.
Consequently, the GAO has issued eight recommendations to the US Department of Defense to ensure that all equipment is tracked and used properly. Among other things, it was mentioned that the department needs to improve the accuracy of delivery data and assess its approach to monitoring the final use in Ukraine.
Furthermore, the management has requested the Pentagon to develop a process to regularly assess and improve the accuracy of delivery data and to develop written instructions to document "roles and responsibilities."
In turn, the US Department of Defense has agreed to five recommendations and partially agreed to two others. However, the Pentagon "disagreed" with the agency's recommendation to clarify guidance on documenting potential violations of final use.
Monitoring of defense assistance for Ukraine
In September of last year, the Pentagon dispatched inspectors to Kyiv to monitor the military aid provided to Ukraine by the United States. A similar American inspection mission was active in Ukraine earlier this year.
As previously stated by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the United States did not identify any significant violations related to the aid provided to Ukraine.
Additionally, in November 2023, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported that experts from the monitoring mission of the European Peace Facility were keeping track of the weaponry transferred to the Armed Forces from EU countries.
