Thread by @LukeDCoffey

🚨 FINALLY, after more than 480 days of delay and dithering (costing Ukrainian lives), Congress is about to vote on another aid package for Ukraine.

Expect a lot of disinformation about US aid to Ukraine in the coming days.

🧵Here is a thread with the facts👇🏻

FACT: We are not writing “blank checks” to Ukraine: ✔️Every dollar spent in support of Ukraine is authorized by Congress and is used for a specific purpose
✔️So far, approximately $70 billion of the aid never left US

FACT: For a modest sum of money, the US helps Ukraine dismantle Russia’s military w/out a single American in harm's way:
✔️+400k Russian troops KIA, 15,000 major pieces of equipment removed from battlefield
✔️1/3 of Black Sea Fleet gone. +3,000 tanks destroyed.

FACT: There is plenty of oversight for Ukraine aid: ✔️Ukraine Oversight Interagency Working Group has 160 officials across 20 agencies monitoring aid
✔️So far: “Investigations related to the Ukraine response have not yet substantiated significant waste, fraud, or abuse.”

FACT: Europeans have now overtaken the U.S. the largest donor to Ukraine:
✔️According to Kiel Institute's aid tracker total European commitments are now more than double those of the U.S.
✔️30 European countries have given more to Ukraine than the U.S. as a percentage of GDP

FACT: A victorious Ukraine means a safer Taiwan: ✔️Russia is China’s partner. A weakened Russia means a weaker China
✔️Beijing is also watching how Western powers support Ukraine, so a strong and victorious Ukraine makes Taiwan stronger and deters Chinese aggression

FACT: Europe’s stability matters to US economy: ✔️48/50 states export more to Europe than China ✔️When Americans are building something to be exported, that is an American job
✔️European stability, which Russia threatens, brings untold benefits to the economy & the US worker

FACT: Lessons from Ukraine make our military stronger:
✔️Shortcomings in defense industry are exposed & being addressed. Thankfully, these were uncovered when US not at war
✔️The performance of US made hardware gets a real-world combat test in a way not possible in a peacetime

FACT: Lessons learned from arming Ukraine mean Taiwan is getting weapons faster:
✔️For the first time ever, Presidential Drawdown Authority is being used for Taiwan
✔️Taiwan’s order of HIMARS will now be arriving 1 year earlier than planned after U.S. re-prioritized the sale

FACT: Iran and North Korea enable Russia to attack Ukraine. Russia supports Hamas:
✔️Iran giving thousands of drones for use against Ukraine
✔️North Korea gave +1 million artillery rounds for use against Ukraine
✔️Russia protects Hamas at the UN. Moscow recently hosted Hamas

FACT: Ukraine is not “America's new forever war”: ✔️No US troops are fighting against Russia inside Ukraine
✔️Ukrainians are not asking for, nor do they want, US troops to help them fight Russia
✔️The US is not a belligerent in the conflict

FACT: The US is not engaged in a proxy war against Russia:
✔️Definition of a "proxy war" is a war “fought by states acting at the instigation or on behalf of other states”
✔️The US has never instigated Ukraine to fight. The US is not forcing the Ukraine to fight on its behalf

FACT: The US must provide both military & non-military to achieve the greatest affect:
✔️Russia’s invasion eliminated 30% of Ukraine’s economy
✔️Essential public services must function (e.g. law enforcement, utility workers, etc) for Ukraine to remain on a total war footing

FACT: US military aid to Ukraine is a boost to our defense industry:
✔️After seeing effectiveness of US military equipment in Ukraine, NATO countries alone have placed $120 billion in orders for US made hardware.
✔️This makes America safer while creating highly-paid jobs