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Defense &
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Defense &
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The Big Story
Ukraine looks to stop the bleeding as US readies more aid
Ukraine faces a daunting battle this year to achieve critical war aims in its fight with Russia, even after the U.S. Congress cleared billions of dollars in new weapons that will soon help stabilize the front lines.
© AP
The immediate effect of the U.S. package will be to help defend Ukrainian cities and defensive positions on the front lines, as artillery and air defenses have dwindled since the last U.S. shipments in December.
The Biden administration is readying 155 mm artillery shells, air defense munitions and anti-tank munitions in an initial $1 billion package.
But more ambitious goals, such as retaking territory in a renewed counteroffensive against entrenched Russian forces, may not happen this year, analysts say.
Becca Wasser, a senior fellow for the defense program at the Center for a New American Security, said the incoming aid package is significant but will not “magically solve all of Ukraine’s problems,” especially because additional timely U.S. assistance is not guaranteed.
“There’s a choice that Ukrainian leaders need to make, which is: Are they going to try and break some of the deadlock and push for an offensive, or are they going to focus on holding the lines that they currently have?” she said, noting a counteroffensive could consume resources fast.
Kyiv breathed a sigh of relief after the House passed the aid over the weekend following months of delays. Russian forces have been taking advantage of the delay on the battlefield, making incremental gains across the 600-mile eastern front and putting Ukrainian troops on the back foot.
The $95 billion U.S. package, which will also fund Israel, Taiwan and other allies, cleared the Senate on Tuesday night and was swiftly signed into law by President Biden, whose administration has signaled it can move within days on getting Ukraine weapons, some of which are already in Europe.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address Sunday that advisers were working to ensure the package will deliver “exactly what our warriors at the front are waiting for.”
With more aid, Ukraine may be able to start preparing for another counteroffensive but is unlikely to be in a position to launch one this year, experts say.
Read the full report at TheHill.com.
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