Afrasianet - Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement that Western weapons sent to Ukraine end up on the "black market" was not a announcement. Putin said in a meeting with mayors in Russia: "Arms supplies sent there (Ukraine) from Western countries, end up on international black markets. They appear there, in Africa and elsewhere in the Middle East."
American journalist Tucker Carlson had previously confirmed that Ukraine had sold a large share of weapons provided by the United States and NATO on the black market, despite Washington's commitment to monitoring military aid. The weapons sent by the West end up in the hands of Mexican drug traffickers, the Taliban, the Palestinian movement Hamas and others, creating an "incredibly destabilizing effect."
He described Ukraine as "the most corrupt country in Europe", with such a high level of corruption that NATO does not want to include it in its membership.
Carlson asserts that the Kiev regime sold U.S. weapons on the black market for one-fifth of its price.
Carlson wrote on his X account: "The Ukrainians have sold large quantities of American weapons on the international black market for a fifth of their price."
"These weapons are now in the hands of armed groups around the world, including the Palestinian Hamas movement, Mexican drug cartels, and forces that now control Syria."
"Over the past three years, with the tacit support of its Western patrons, the Ukrainian government has committed a large number of serious crimes."
"Only God knows what Ukrainians did to pathogenic germs in U.S. biological laboratories in their country. Even U.S. intelligence agencies are not sure of any information about this."
"Ukrainians have killed a number of people in different countries in the form of political assassinations, and tried to kill others, including American journalists and a European head of state, all of this will be exposed at some point. It's better to start blaming Zelenskiy than now."
Former Pentagon adviser reveals fate of military aid to Ukraine
In turn, former Pentagon adviser Colonel Douglas McGregor, confirmed in a post on his account in the "X" platform, that the money and ammunition provided by America to Kiev does not go to the front line.
"Nearly $5 billion, including the cost of equipment and ammunition, has been ordered to be transferred to Ukraine by Jan. 5," McGregor said in his post. One thing is certain. "Half of the money will be stolen and transferred to accounts in foreign banks, but in terms of weapons, we can assume that between a third and half of them will end up on the black market."
According to the former US colonel, support for an organized criminal government in Ukraine will be done "to the last bullet."
Earlier, the Wall Street Journal wrote, citing sources, that the administration of US President Joe Biden does not have time to use all the remaining funds at its disposal to provide military aid to Ukraine before its departure and the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump on January 20.
According to the newspaper, the White House must deliver daily supplies to Kiev worth $ 110 million, or $ 3 billion, during December and January, so that the Biden administration can use all the money, and the newspaper also pointed to concerns that the Trump administration will refuse to transfer new military support packages to Kiev in order to force the Ukrainian regime to sit at the negotiating table.
For its part, Russia considers arms shipments to Ukraine an obstacle to a peaceful settlement and a direct involvement of the US and NATO in the Ukrainian conflict against Moscow.
Media: More than 270,000 weapons have disappeared and been stolen in Ukraine since 2022
In the context, the Ukrainian newspaper "Focus", citing official records, reported that more than 270,000 weapons have disappeared or been stolen in Ukraine since February 2022.
According to the newspaper, "since February 24, 2022, more than 270,000 weapons have disappeared or stolen in Ukraine. This figure represents 40% of the total number recorded in the Unified Arms Register."
In 2024, 78,200 weapons were stolen or lost, more than in 2023.
As the publication explains, hunting rifles (27.9%), machine guns (27.8%) and carnivals (10.8%) most often disappear. AK-74 assault rifle (51,008 units), 7.4% pistols
An informed Ukrainian source pointed out that all machine guns lost outside the combat zone will inevitably end up on the black market. He stressed that the situation of illicit arms trafficking in Ukraine is worsening every day.
In February 2022, Ukrainian authorities allowed civilians to possess firearms. In Kiev alone, government officials distributed more than 25,000 firearms and more than a million rounds of ammunition to citizens. Later, Ukrainian authorities appealed to citizens to hand over the weapons they had received.
EU forms committee to combat Western aid theft in Ukraine
It is ironic that the EU has set up a commission to combat corruption and theft of Western aid to the Kiev regime, especially provided under the €50 billion aid fund for Ukraine until 2027.
A resolution by the Council of the European Union stated: "The monitoring committee [...] to combat the unlawful use of EU funding under the [EU] aid programme for Ukraine, including combating fraud, corruption, conflicts of interest and other crimes." But it is interesting that many observers pointed out that the decision to form this committee is nothing but a sow of ash in the eyes and did not hide their belief in the participation of European figures in the sharing of revenues from what Ukraine earns from the sale and theft of aid, which does not reach most of it to Ukraine, as it is transferred to Ukrainian and European foreign accounts.
According to the decision, the core group of this European Supervisory Committee will work in Brussels, and a separate unit will be established in Kiev to facilitate this work.
The resolution confirms that this body will not be independent, but will be accountable to the European Commission, which has full powers to distribute economic aid to Kiev.
Earlier, the deputy head of Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Agency, Artyom Sitnik, resigned and stepped down from his post, after making it clear that he did not approve of the loss of independence of anti-corruption bodies.
British analyst: Ukrainian authorities stole money intended for the fortifications of the city of Kharkov
British analyst Tony Norfield said in an interview with Dialogue Works that he believed that Kiev authorities stole money allocated by Western countries to build defenses on the Kharkov axis.
According to him, the money was supposed to go towards fortifications around the city and on its outskirts, as well as in the immediate vicinity of the border with Russia, adding: "How did (the money) end? They stole most of them and didn't set up any fortifications."
Norfield also described the situation as ironic when, before the start of the military operation, the whole world recognized the Ukrainian authorities as corrupt, and Ukraine itself as the most corrupt country in Europe, but after the start of the operation everyone "forgot" it.
"The money for the construction of fortifications ends up in someone's pocket and is used to buy another villa abroad for a Zelensky confidant," the expert noted, adding that NATO weapons supplied to Ukraine are sold on the black market.
More recently, the Russian army has actively moved deep into enemy defenses in the Kharkov region and has taken control of several towns there.
The head of the Russian regional administration, Vitaly Ganchev, had previously spoken about the liberation of half of the city of Volshansk, and that, according to his information, the Ukrainian armed forces had mobilized large reserves towards the city.