CHICAGO (NewsNation Now) — The United States has provided $650 million in defense equipment and services to Ukraine this past year alone amid escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
The Biden administration recently sent 90 tons of military aid to Ukraine, as part of a $200 million “lethal aid” package as Russia massed troops near Ukraine’s border but denied any plans of an invasion. The U.S. then also sent thousands of troops to nearby Poland, the Baltics, Romania and Germany. The troops’ mission is to train and provide deterrence — but not to engage in combat in Ukraine.
In addition to those troops, the Biden administration has ordered the relocation of several aviation attack teams to various regions near Ukraine. These forces include fighter jets and helicopters.
But some Americans believe that the U.S. is getting involved in matters that don’t directly affect the nation.
Retired Lt. Gen. Richard Newton told NewsNation’s Adrienne Bankert that despite Russia and Ukraine being across the world, everything that happens there will have direct impacts at home.
“Putin is a threat, not only to our very close European allies through NATO, but also through U.S. national interests as well,” Newton said on “Morning in America.” “Let’s break it down into something maybe folks can understand, especially at the gas pump. Russia produces 10.1 million barrels of oil a day, if that is cut off, or if there’s not access to that could potentially be an oil crisis that we haven’t seen perhaps since the early ’70s. That’s a challenge and then obviously, then you’re going to have the price of the pump go up. That’s something that costs that the American people will directly incur.”
But where does the money come from to offer this support? Your taxes.
Turbotax says that 20% of the federal budget goes to defense and military spending. Most of that goes to the Department of Defense to cover the cost of military operations, troop training, equipment and weapons research.
The average taxpayer paid almost $3,500 in 2018 for the Pentagon funding, according to the Institute for Policy Studies.
A portion of this budget goes to private contractors, like Lockheed Martin. This company is the Pentagon’s biggest contractor and the maker of the F-35 fighter jet, several of which are now positioned along NATO’s eastern flank. The average taxpayer contributes $230 a year to fund Lockheed Martin’s DOD contracts.
“Freedom is not free,” Newton said in part. “That is a high cost, but I believe it’s one that we as Americans are willing to incur, especially if you look at our history. But if you look at today’s world events, it’s been through decades, going back from World War II to through the Cold War, and now it’s 1-800 call the United States, you call the U.S. military. Well, it comes with a cost.”
Last month, the United States preemptively ordered more than 8,500 military personnel to deploy to countries around Ukraine.
As the conflict in Ukraine continues, NewsNation will bring Americans the latest developments from abroad and insights into its impact at home throughout our newscasts. We’re dropping the paywall on our live stream so it’s available to everyone. You can watch NewsNation’s programming, including the latest on Ukraine, at the top of the hour from 7-10 a.m. and 5-11 p.m. ET.
