US disarms itself to aid Ukraine

The United States has shipped massive amounts of military aid to Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022. There has been bipartisan support on Capitol Hill for the aid, although some Republicans have questioned the price tag — $27.5 billion so far in military aid, or "security assistance" alone, which does not include tens of billions in financial, humanitarian, and other types of aid.

Some GOP lawmakers have also expressed concern about the lack of safeguards in sending so much money to a notoriously corrupt country. But there is another growing worry about the amount of U.S. military aid to Ukraine.

The Biden administration is sending so many weapons to Ukraine that the U.S., already underprepared for a major war, is running low on munitions for its own defense. In effect, the U.S. is disarming itself to aid Ukraine. That would be troubling in any event but is especially so amid growing tensions with China over Taiwan.