BarcelonaUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's breathing got a little easier after the US Congress on Saturday, after nearly half a year of stalemate, finally approved a multibillion-dollar aid package for Kiev. The Ukrainian leader's messages in recent weeks have been increasingly desperate: His soldiers at the front do not have enough artillery to confront the Russian invaders, and his rearguard does not have enough missiles to defend against air strikes launched by Moscow far from the battlefield. The green light given by members of Congress brings hope at one of the most sensitive moments in the war in Ukraine, but it remains to be seen whether it will have an immediate impact.
Defense Department spokesman Patrick Ryder said on Friday that its logistics systems would allow the material to be sent to Ukraine “within days,” and US officials told US media that some munitions could be sent “almost immediately” thanks to the network of weapons depots the US has in Europe. In particular, 155 mm artillery shells – one of the most widely used munitions on the battlefield in Ukraine – and air defense missiles.
But according to the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the logistics of transporting materials to the front line will likely mean that US aid will not take effect on the battlefield for “several weeks.” “Therefore, the situation on the front lines will likely continue to deteriorate during this time, especially if Russian forces increase their attacks to take advantage of the limited window of opportunity before new US aid arrives.” Think tank. But while analysts expect “additional setbacks” for Ukraine in the coming weeks, they also say Ukrainian forces “will likely be able to repel the current Russian offensive, if US assistance is resumed quickly.”
In the same context, Stefan Gade, an analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, confirmed this The New York Times Even with the help of the United States, the air defense situation in Ukraine “will remain difficult for several months,” and that Russia will try to exploit its superiority. But on the other hand, he added, Washington's renewed aid would allow European countries to increase their arms production, a crucial issue in the face of growing uncertainty in the face of elections in the United States and the possibility of a Donald Trump victory. Reclaim the White House.
CIA Director Bill Burns warned last week that without additional help from the United States, Ukraine could lose the war by the end of this year. Washington has provided nearly $45 billion in military aid to Ukraine since early 2022, when Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion.
The latest aid package was announced last March, with a total value of $300 million, after the Pentagon (Department of Defense) identified “unexpected cost savings” in recent arms contracts. It was unexpected help because in December, the Pentagon exhausted all funding approved by Congress for military support to Ukraine, and additional aid approved on Saturday has since stalled.
What will the $61 billion be used for?
Of the nearly $61 billion to Ukraine, about $23,000 will be allocated to replenish the US arms stockpile, arguing that this will open the door to future transfers to Kiev. About $14 billion will go to the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, through which the Pentagon buys weapons from American military companies to send directly to the Ukrainian military.
There is also about 11 billion to fund US military operations in Europe and encourage intelligence cooperation between Kiev and Washington; About $8 billion will be allocated to non-military aid, such as helping Zelensky's government maintain daily operations, such as paying salaries and pensions.
The Senate is scheduled to discuss and approve the package on Tuesday, and then President Joe Biden will prioritize and approve it immediately, as he promised. “I think this support will really strengthen the Ukrainian armed forces and we will have a chance to achieve victory,” Zelensky said Sunday in an interview with NBC.
Russia warns of another “catastrophic failure” as happened in Vietnam and Afghanistan
For its part, Moscow warned Washington that its support for Kiev, which it sees as a “deeper than ever” plunge into a “hybrid war against Russia,” will end in “a miserable and humiliating failure, as happened in Vietnam and Afghanistan.” This was stated by a spokeswoman for Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova, in a statement, also stressed that Russia “will fully adhere to the goals and objectives of the special military operation.”
Russian forces have only achieved tactical victories in the past six months, such as the capture of Avdiivka, but no major breakthroughs. Since the beginning of this year, Moscow has captured about 360 square kilometers, according to a report by the Institute for the Study of War this week. He warns that the Russian military could still make significant progress in the coming weeks Think tankwhich indicates that it is likely to prioritize sectors of the front where Ukrainian defenses appear unstable, especially west of Avdiivka and around Chasev Yar, which appears to be Russia's next important target.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Sunday that its forces had taken control of Bohdanivka, ten kilometers from Chasev Yar. After seizing Solidar and Bakhmut at the beginning of last year, Russian forces are now trying to advance into the west of Donetsk Oblast, with the aim of getting closer and closer to more important areas, such as Kostyantinivka and, above all, Kramatorsk and Kramatorsk. Slovyansk, a strategic road and rail crossroads and a symbolic place, where the pro-Russian uprising broke out in 2014, after… Maidan Revolution.
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