The recent foreign aid package passed by Congress was a wise decision, but it was unconscionably delayed and came with significant implications. The capacity of Ukraine forces to hold a 600-mile front line—as well as the communities that lie behind it—has been undermined by months of waiting for more military assistance.
The delay in providing aid resulted in the Ukrainians running out of ammunition and being outnumbered up to ten to one in certain areas of the front when the additional aid was eventually authorized.
Delays have also made it more difficult for Ukraine to build fortifications comparable to those built by Russia. To accomplish this, Ukraine would have had to shift excavators and other machinery into areas that Russia would have easily identified and targeted for destruction.
Ukraine’s ability to repel Russian ground-launched missiles has decreased due to a lack of air defences.
Russia has a large number of air-launched glide bombs that are more potent than Ukraine’s defences. According to Ukrainian commanders, there is little they can do to reduce the threat until the widely anticipated deployment of F-16 fighter jets later this year.
Five attacks since March have destroyed 20% of Ukraine’s electricity generating capacity, Maksym Timchenko, CEO of DTEK, a private energy supplier, told reporters last week. Unlike past attacks, which concentrated on the electrical system.
The most recent ones have targeted power plants, which take longer to restore and cost far more. If friends do not provide the necessary equipment and supplies for repairs soon, Ukraine will have little chance of restoring full electricity capacity by winter. Electricity shortages will also harm the economy and cause more hardship for the civilian population.
Russia has been making significant progress in the east this spring, and a new northern front has emerged, threatening Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. While Kharkiv is not in danger of being overrun right away, some nearby towns have fallen and others are under attack.
The Russian advance might put Kharkiv within range of numerous Russian missile systems within a week, threatening residents with frequent bombardment that will erode morale.
Ukraine’s ability to confront Russia in the Donetsk region and elsewhere has weakened as a result of the forced troop shift from the eastern to northern fronts in response to Russian advances. In a recent interview with the New York Times from Kharkiv, Ukraine’s military intelligence commander, Gen
Kyrylo Budanov declared that “all of our forces are either here or in Chasiv Yar,” a town that serves as a tactical bastion in the Donetsk region. He said, “I’ve used everything we have.” “This situation is getting closer to critical every hour.”
In the next months, US aid will help Kyiv strengthen its defences and calm the conflict, but it is unlikely to reverse Ukraine’s losses.
Since April, Russia has acquired about 300 square miles of Ukrainian territory, more than Ukraine gained throughout its unsuccessful 2023 counteroffensive.
Not every one of these losses can be linked to the US financing delay. Ukraine lacks personnel since its population is less than one-third that of Russia.
At the moment, Russia has more soldiers than Ukraine—more than 510,000. However, it could boost recruitment if the draft is expanded upon beyond the restricted changes that were revealed in April—something that Volodymyr Zelensky’s administration has been reluctant to do for political and financial reasons.
Ukraine cannot compete on its own unless it receives cutting-edge technology and expertise from the US and its partners.
Recent setbacks are partially the fault of the Biden administration. The ability of Ukraine to defend itself has been weakened by delays in approving the transfer of cutting-edge weaponry.
Ukraine is not allowed to employ high-precision weaponry against targets within Russia, according to the White House.
The Ukrainian military was powerless to block Russian forces that had been amassing on the country’s northern border in recent weeks.
Nevertheless, congressional Republicans bear the majority of the blame for these losses since they stalled the most recent aid package while engaging in intra-party conflict.
Members of the House Freedom Caucus threatened to punish their uncertain colleagues if they voted in support of help. However, the much-feared fury of their constituents did not materialize when members who voted yes went home.
“When you explain it, people get it,” stated a Republican representative of a swing district in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick. Republicans from states and districts that lean redder have said similar things.
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