US is struggling to track the aid it is providing to Ukraine, says report

US officials are struggling to track the financial aid they are providing to Ukraine, as per a report from Politico. The report's claim is based on a US State Department cable, that was written on September 6th by US Embassy in Kyiv. 

There are multiple challenges US officials are facing, that is preventing them from tracking the aid they are providing accurately. One of the challenge is constraints on the movement of US officials, due to the ongoing war. Another challenge is that the State Department is struggling to find contractors who can help with auditing. Setting up in-person meeting with Ukrainian government officials is also proving to be a challenge.

Cable comes under attention at a time when GOP is taking over the House

This State Department cable comes under the light of media attention at a time when the Republicans are taking control of the US House of Representative. Kevin McCarthy, Republican leader at the House has said that the GOP will not be in favour of blank checks to Ukraine. Back in May, Republican Senator Rand Paul delayed a $40 billion aid to Ukraine, because he was concerned about how the aid was being spent. He asked for an inspector general to monitor the spending. 

The State Department cable in question was signed by U.S. Ambassador Bridget Brink. It is nine pages long and it states “Above all, kinetic activity and active combat between Ukrainian and Russian forces create an environment in which standard verification measures are sometimes impracticable or impossible." Currently, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is relying on private firms like Deloitte to discover gaps in US' monitoring mechanisms. The Pentagon report states that the Department of Defence is planning to rely on Ukrainian troops on the ground to conduct inspections. The State Department’s Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations is using an app developed as a result of public-private partnership to track assistance. It is unclear how effective these measures are.