US Assistance to Russia (2007) $913.28 Million

So with the Russian military making a mess of the country of Georgia, I would like to think that the Governments of Norway, Germany, the UK, Italy, and US (as well as others) are wondering just why they are showering Russia with hundreds of millions in aid money. The amount of US aid alone has been averaging close to $1 billion a year since 2000.

Here is the history of US aid to Russia:

U.S. assistance to Russia from 1992-2007:

• In Fiscal Year 1992 total United States Government (USG) assistance was 328.42 Million dollars;
• Fiscal Year 1993: Total USG: 1,454.75 Million dollars;
• Fiscal Year 1994: Total USG: 1,915.79 Million dollars;
• Fiscal Year 1995: Total USG: 570.26 Million dollars;
• Fiscal Year 1996: Total USG: 492.86 Million dollars;
• Fiscal Year 1997: Total USG: 545.52 Million dollars;
• Fiscal Year 1998: Total USG: 599.04 Million dollars;
• Fiscal Year 1999: Total USG: 2,132.47 Million dollars;
• Fiscal Year 2000: Total USG: 1,053.99 Million dollars;
• Fiscal Year 2001: Total USG: 955.52 Million dollars;
• Fiscal Year 2002: Total USG: 1,014.54 Million dollars;
• Fiscal Year 2003: Total USG: 912.50 Million dollars;
• Fiscal Year 2004: Total USG: 944.67 Million dollars;
• Fiscal Year 2005: Total USG: 1,008.06 Million dollars;
• Fiscal Year 2006: Total USG: 961.65 Million dollars;
• Fiscal Year 2007: Total USG: 913.28 Million.
• (Source: US State Department) 

And just what has it gotten us?  Russia still has not totally committed to cleaning up it's nuclear mess, instead leaving it to the west to worry about it.  Hell, our own assistance money is reaching as far as Iran's nuclear program:

In the continuing US Congressional investigation of a post-Soviet programme to employ Russian nuclear weapons scientists to prevent them from selling their expertise, a congressional committee has said US Department of Energy (DOE) funding has assisted in building Iran’s Bushehr reactor. - Bellona

And, the following confirms a point I have made before, in that giving Russia money frees them up to use their own money to do things that are harmful to the US.

At the hearing last month on the anti-proliferation program, a State Department official, Richard Stratford, acknowledged that “you could argue if you give Russia a dollar for whatever purpose, it frees up a dollar that can then be spent elsewhere.” But he said the programme would reduce the risk of proliferation. - Bellona

This is what I said last year. The problem is that Russia is not going to clean up their mess with their own money. As far as I'm concerned, if they want their country littered with nuclear radiation, then so be it. Giving them a free pass may very likely result in a much larger mess later on as there is no incentive to be responsible.  That last quote above also puts in question the idea of paying to secure Russia's nukes.  At the very least, we are paying too much.

Maybe it's time to suspend these payments.  Russia's is quickly becoming the most imminent threat of using the nukes and no amount of money is going to secure these nukes from their owner.

Previous:
US Assistance to Russia (2006) $949.3 Million - FFI - 15 August 2007
Norway and UK Pay Nuke Money as Russia Threatens West - FFI - 7 March 2008
US Assistance to Russia Funding Iranian Nukes - FFI - 21 Feb 2008


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