US Afghanistan inspector general cautions against Ukrainian assistance "wastage"

(RT) ⸻ John Sopko, the United States' Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), has warned that fraud and corruption can undermine foreign aid packages to assist Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. Sopko, who was appointed to the role of overseeing the reconstruction of Afghanistan by the Obama administration in 2012, admits that "significant mistakes" were made in Afghanistan's rebuilding due to much of the funds allocated being "diverted or stolen." He predicts that a failure to learn from these mistakes might severely limit the impact of foreign assistance to Ukraine. He cited similar experiences in Afghanistan, where he concluded that Afghan soldiers and police officers lost confidence in their government after first-hand observations of corruption. The United States has continued to increase its aid packages to Ukraine in recent months, announcing a further aid package of $2 billion and imposing further sanctions and tariff increases on Moscow. Last month, Washington revealed plans for an oversight committee to track the assets sent to Ukraine. Figures within the US Congress have also called for a special inspector to be appointed to oversee Ukraine aid. It was reported last month that Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky had fired government officials found to have been engaging in bribery and corruption.