Ukraine faces military challenges despite US aid, experts warn: Global: Business Times

The US House of Representatives passed a $60 billion foreign aid package on Saturday, offering Kiev a much-needed lifeline. The bill, which also includes aid to Israel and Taiwan, is expected to be approved by the Democratic-majority Senate this week before being signed into law by President Joe Biden.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to US lawmakers for their support, stating that the aid “will prevent the war from spreading, save thousands of lives and help both our countries become stronger.” However, he urged the Senate to quickly pass the bill, stressing the importance of minimizing the time between political decisions and their impact on the battlefield.

Despite renewed US support, Ukraine faces significant military challenges. Defense analysts say that while the funding could boost Ukraine’s military campaign, aid and supplies must be sent immediately to be effective. “Ukrainian forces may face additional setbacks in the coming weeks as they wait for U.S. security assistance that will allow Ukraine to stabilize the front, but they will likely be able to blunt the current Russian offensive, assuming the resumed American help is coming quickly,” said analysts at the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War.

Ukraine’s priority is to replenish artillery, air defense systems and missile supplies depleted by recent Russian air strikes on the country’s energy infrastructure. Matthew Savill, director of military sciences at London-based defense think tank RUSI, pointed out that while the purchase of new equipment could cause delays, the Pentagon has prepared some military hardware for donation to Ukraine to minimize delivery time. “This is unlikely to immediately create parity with Russia’s volume of fire, but it will help close the gap,” Savill said.

However, long-term financing for Ukraine remains a point of contention, with analysts noting that further US aid is not guaranteed, especially given the uncertain outcome of the presidential election later this year. “The package will be welcome for the Ukrainian military… but the key point is that this financing can probably only help stabilize the Ukrainian position for this year and begin preparations for operations in 2025,” Savill added.

Timothy Ash, associate fellow at Chatham House, supports the proposal to use billions of dollars in frozen Russian assets to help finance Ukraine. He argues that the latest aid does not change the fact that Ukraine will continue to need significant amounts of financing. “Ukraine’s financing to ensure victory in the war and successful reconstruction can only be assured if the West lifts its finger and allocates the $330 billion in immobilized assets to Ukraine,” he said.

The urgency of the situation was emphasized by senior Western defense officials, who recently warned that Ukrainian forces were resorting to rationing the use of grenades due to artillery and ammunition shortages in the east of the country. A top US general told Congress that Russia fired five artillery shells for every shell fired by Ukrainian forces, and that this disparity could double in the coming weeks.

Russia has criticized the latest US aid package, claiming it will only lead to more carnage in the conflict. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the aid “will make the United States of America richer, further ruin Ukraine and result in the deaths of even more Ukrainians, the fault of the Kiev regime.” Russia’s First Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Dmitry Polyansky, was particularly scathing, saying that Ukraine “will function a little longer, more money will end up in their pockets, more weapons will be stolen and tens of thousands Ukrainians will disappear. in the meat grinder.”

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