On September 24th, CBS News posted an article about exactly how American tax dollars are being spent in Ukraine. The lack of financial accountability for the billions of dollars we have spent in Ukraine is disturbing.

The article reports:

The U.S. has spent just over $43 billion on military aid to Ukraine since Russia invaded. That’s equivalent to about 5% of the American defense budget. European countries combined have contributed around $30 billion.

The article notes:

American taxpayers are financing more than just weapons. We discovered the U.S. government’s buying seeds and fertilizer for Ukrainian farmers… and covering the salaries of Ukraine’s first responders – all 57,000 of them.

That includes the team that trains this rescue dog – named Joy – to comb through the wreckage of Russian strikes looking for survivors.

And the U.S. also funds the divers who we saw clearing unexploded ammunition from the country’s rivers – to make them safe again for swimming and fishing.

These are worthwhile causes, but I am not sure it’s American taxpayers’ responsibility to fund them.

Also included in the expenditures:

Russia’s invasion shrank Ukraine’s economy by about a third. We were surprised to find that to keep it afloat the U.S. government is subsidizing small businesses…

…like Tatiana Abramova’s knitwear company.

Holly Williams: These are Ukrainian towns – that’s Kyiv I recognize.

Tatiana Abramova: Yes, yah! It’s Kyiv.

Tatiana Abramova: Especially in the condition of war, we have to work. We have to pay taxes, we have to pay wage– salary to our employees. We have to work, don’t stop.

Holly Williams: Why does that help Ukraine win the war?

Tatiana Abramova: Because economy is the foundation of everything.

American officials from USAID – the agency in charge of international development – helped Abramova find new customers overseas. In the midst of war, her company is supporting over 70 families.

Please follow the link to read further details. The interesting thing about this information is that it was shown on “60 Minutes,” generally a left-wing news source that supports the Ukrainian War. I wonder if this is an indication that the mainstream media is reading the tea leaves and giving up on convincing Americans that funding Ukraine is a good use of our tax dollars.