Four Ways to Understand the $54 Billion in U.S. Spending on Ukraine
The more than $40 billion in additional aid to Ukraine approved by Congress on Thursday brings the total U.S. commitment during the Russian invasion to roughly $54 billion, when combined with the aid package passed in March.
Traditional foreign aid
Other military
$31.4 billion
$20.6 billion
Military and security assistance
Weapons and other supplies
Economic Support Fund
$9.4 bil.
$6.0 bil.
$12.5 bil.
Grants and loans for
military supplies
$4.7 bil.
Food assistance, health care and
other aid
U.S. military deployments
and intelligence
$7.0 bil.
Assistance for
Europe, Eurasia and
Central Asia
Migration
and refugee
assistance
$8.1 bil.
$1.1 bil.
$1.8 bil.
Other foreign aid
$1.5 bil.
Administration for Children and
Families
Diplomatic programs
and other
Enforcing
sanctions
$0.5 bil.
$0.9 bil.
$0.3 bil.
Other
$1.7 billion
Traditional foreign aid
$31.4 billion
$1.7 billion
Economic Support Fund
Food assistance,
health care
and other aid
$9.4 bil.
$7.0 bil.
Other
Migration &
refugee asst.
Grants and
loans for
military
supplies
Military and
security
assistance
$1.8 bil.
$6.0 bil.
Other
foreign
aid
Regional asst.
$4.7 bil.
$1.1 bil.
$1.5 bil.
U.S. military
deployments
and intelligence
Weapons and other supplies
$12.5 bil.
$8.1 bil.
Other military
$20.6 billion
Traditional foreign aid
Other military
$31.4 billion
$20.6 billion
Military and security
assistance
Weapons and other supplies
Economic Support Fund
$9.4 bil.
$12.5 bil.
$6.0 bil.
Grants and loans for
military supplies
$4.7 bil.
Food assistance, health care
and other aid
U.S. military deployments
and intelligence
$7.0 bil.
Asst. for Europe,
Eurasia, Central
Asia
Migration
& refugee
assistance
$8.1 bil.
$1.1 bil.
Other foreign aid
$1.8 bil.
$1.5 bil.
Administration for Children and
Families
Diplomatic programs
and other
Enforcing
sanctions
$0.5 bil.
$0.9 bil.
$0.3 bil.
Other
$1.7 billion
The bulk of the aid is allocated through traditional foreign aid channels. That includes money to provide urgent support, health services and food assistance to Ukrainian refugees inside and outside Ukraine. The latest bill, which had been delayed for a week by the objection of Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, includes money for logistical support and training for Ukrainian military and national security forces, and for a fund intended to secure the continuity of Ukraine’s government.
Forty percent of the aid has been directed to weapons transfers, to provide medical and intelligence support to allied countries in Europe, and to deploy troops there. The bill passed Thursday allows President Biden to authorize the transfer of an additional $11 billion in American weapons, equipment and defense supplies to Ukraine, and allocates $9.1 billion to replenish that stockpile.
March bill
May bill
$13.6 billion
$40.1 billion
Traditional foreign aid
Economic Support Fund
$0.6
$8.8
Food assistance, health care and other aid
$2.7
$4.3
Military and security assistance
$0.0
$6.0
Grants and loans for military supplies
$0.7
$4.0
Migration and refugee assistance
$1.4
$0.4
Asst. for Europe, Eurasia and Central Asia
$1.1
$0.0
Other foreign aid
$0.3
$1.2
Other military
U.S. military deployments and intelligence
$3.0
$5.1
Weapons and other supplies
$3.5
$9.1
Other
Administration for Children and Families
$0.0
$0.9
Diplomatic programs and other
$0.2
$0.4
Enforcing sanctions
$0.1
$0.1
March bill
May bill
$13.6 bil.
$40.1 bil.
Traditional
foreign aid
Economic Support
Fund
$0.6
$8.8
Food assistance,
health and other aid
$2.7
$4.3
Military and security
assistance
$0.0
$6.0
Grants and loans for
military supplies
$0.7
$4.0
Migration and refugee
assistance
$1.4
$0.4
Asst. for Europe,
Eurasia & Central Asia
$1.1
$0.0
Other foreign aid
$0.3
$1.2
Other military
U.S. military deploy-
ments & intelligence
$3.0
$5.1
Weapons and other
supplies
$3.5
$9.1
Other
Administration for
Children and Families
$0.0
$0.9
Diplomatic programs
and other
$0.2
$0.4
Enforcing sanctions
$0.1
$0.1
A smaller part of the aid will go to domestic agencies to enforce the sanctions and export control measures taken by the government to debilitate Russia's economy. And some aid will be directed to diplomatic programs that help maintain U.S. citizen services in the area.
It can be hard to comprehend the scale of such sums. Here are four ways to put it in context:
Compared With Other Foreign Aid
Of the $54 billion in total spending by the United States, $31.4 billion can be considered traditional foreign aid. That’s higher than any annual amount given by the U.S. to a country in the last decade, according to the U.S. Agency for International Development data.
The $31.4 billion may include some funding that wouldn’t be counted in the agency’s data, which is calculated differently. Nonetheless, it is roughly two times the amount given in 2011 to Afghanistan, the largest U.S. foreign aid recipient until now.
Top recipients of U.S. foreign aid since 2010
$30 billion
$25
$20
Afghanistan
$15
$10
Israel
Iraq
Jordan
Ukraine
$5
’10
’20
’10
’20
’10
’20
’10
’20
’10
’22
Top recipients of U.S. foreign aid
since 2010
$30 billion
$25
$20
Afghanistan
$15
$10
Israel
Iraq
Jordan
Ukraine
$5
’10
’20
’10
’20
’10
’20
’10
’20
’10
’22
Compared With the Entire Federal Budget
The $54 billion in total U.S. aid represents about one percent of this year’s projected federal budget. It’s less than a tenth of the $750 billion the government is projected to spend on defense this year. It’s more than what the government spent last year on highway grants ($43 billion), but less than what it spent on health insurance premium tax credits ($56 billion).
Ukraine aid
$54 billion
Projected federal budget
$5.5 trillion
Ukraine aid
$54 billion
Projected federal budget
$5.5 trillion
While the chart above helps give some sense of the size of the aid packages, their actual impact on the federal budget is much smaller because they are meant to be spent over 10 years. (The bulk of the funds is projected to be used sooner.) Over the next decade, the Ukraine aid represents less than a tenth of one percent of the estimated federal budget.
Compared With Democratic Priorities
The cost of the aid is not as high as some of the Democrats’ more expensive policy priorities, like subsidized child care or paid family and medical leave. But it is on par with some of the smaller line items that House Democrats passed in a social policy and climate bill in November. (The bill stalled in the Senate, where the support of all 50 Democrats was needed because no Republican signed on.)
Some of the comparisons are tricky because Democrats shortened the time frames for many of the programs in the bill to lower costs. Six years of a universal preschool program, for example, would cost roughly twice as much as the aid packages to Ukraine.
Compared With What Other Countries Have Contributed
The U.S. has committed around three times as much money as all European Union countries combined, according to data compiled by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, a German research institute.
The U.S. total in the chart is closer to $45 billion, rather than the $54 billion passed by Congress, because certain categories of funding, like money for institutions outside Ukraine or for American troops, are not included in the institute’s comparisons.
Aid commitments, in billions
Military
Financial
Humanitarian
United States
All European Union
Other countries
$10
$20
$30
$40
Aid commitments, in billions
Humanitarian
Military
Financial
United
States
European
Union
Other
countries
$10
$20
$30
$40
Relative to the size of the economy, the U.S. contribution to Ukraine ranks fourth, behind Estonia, Latvia and Poland. The costs of supporting refugees are hard to estimate and are not included in these numbers. Including those costs would most likely put the relative contributions of several more Eastern European countries ahead of the United States, according to the Kiel Institute researchers.
Aid commitments as a share of G.D.P.
Estonia
Latvia
Poland
United States
Lithuania
United Kingdom
Canada
Slovakia
Norway
Hungary
France
Czech Republic
Luxembourg
Germany
Sweden
Denmark
0.2%
0.4%
0.6%
0.8%
Aid as a share of G.D.P.
Estonia
Latvia
Poland
United States
Lithuania
United Kingdom
Canada
Slovakia
Norway
Hungary
France
Czech Republic
Luxembourg
Germany
Sweden
Denmark
0.2%
0.4%
0.6%
0.8%