The United States is the richest country in the world, and does not shy away when it come to financing foreign wars.
The United States is the richest and most powerful country in the world. For the past 80 years, the United States maintained this posture by financing wars around the globe and providing financial and military aid to its allies.
Last Saturday, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, one of the closest American allies anywhere on the planet. Throughout its existence, Israel received a copious amount of funding every year from the United States.
At the same time, last year’s invasion of Ukraine by Russia prompted the United States to provide massive military assistance to Kyiv, making 2022 US military expenditure abroad the highest since 1951.
US assistance to Ukraine was so consistent that the American Congress is currently divided on whether more support should be considered or not. Adding on that, US President Joe Biden pledged on Saturday to immediately increase military assistance to Israel.
But how much are we talking about, exactly?
How much aid has the US given to Ukraine?
On a single-country basis, the United States has been by far the largest supporter of the Ukrainian war effort against the Russian invaders. US assistance was not limited to military support but included financial and humanitarian aid as well.
In total, the United States has supported Ukraine with $76.8 billion since the start of the war in February 2022. By comparison, the second-highest receiver of US aid in 2022 was Israel with $3.3 billion.
This incredibly high amount helped Ukraine resist the invasion and allowed Kyiv to organize its own counter-offensive, albeit it eventually failed.
The radical wing of the Republican Party, guided by former president Donald Trump, wishes to halt military aid for Ukraine. For them, this issue was important enough to halt congressional procedures by firing Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
The United States President needs congressional approval for military spending, and negotiations will not resume until a new Speaker is elected.
How much aid has the US given to Israel?
Although Israel receives fewer US military funds on a yearly basis, it has received the most amount of any nation so far.
Since 1951, Israel received a total of $260 billion in military aid from the United States. This eye-popping sum allowed Israel to build formidable defenses including their Iron Dome missile protection system.
Given the size of Israel’s defenses, the success of Hamas’ attack generated a lot of surprise. Experts believe Hamas received foreign aid from US enemies including Iran.
Despite Biden’s promises, no aid can be given to Israel without a functioning Congress. Indeed, negotiations on the 2024 foreign military budget will be complicated by this new foreign crisis.
Will the US manage to support militarily both Ukraine and Israel?
