After several months of blockage, the American House of Representatives finally adopted a major aid plan for Ukraine on Saturday, but on the battlefield this delay cost Kyiv several military setbacks against the Russian army.
Ukraine’s main military supporter, the United States had not adopted a large package for its ally for almost a year and a half, mainly due to the blockage of a fringe of Republicans in Congress.
This delay notably resulted in a lack of artillery shells, essential against the more numerous and better armed Russian troops.
“We are already seeing things on the ground starting to change a little (…) in Russia’s favor. We see them making increasing gains, we see the Ukrainians having difficulty holding their positions,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said recently.
The delay in approving new funds also allowed Russian President Vladimir Putin to try to “exploit this period of doubt about American resolve,” he added.
After months of procrastination, a majority of elected officials in the House of Representatives ended up supporting a package of $61 billion for Ukraine, which should be quickly approved by the Senate.
The Pentagon has said it would move quickly to send the aid if it is approved by Congress.
“We are prepared to respond quickly with an aid package,” which would likely include “things like air defense and artillery capabilities,” Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said.
For Mark Cancian, of the Center for International and Strategic Studies, the adoption of new military aid “is absolutely essential for the continuation of Ukrainian resistance”.
Because of the American delay, “Ukraine lost territory, suffered more casualties and was less able to repel air attacks,” he said, noting that this had “surely encouraged Putin to believe that it could resist longer than the West in a long war.
For Ann Dailey, a researcher at the RAND Corporation, Ukraine is “on the defensive” on the battlefield.
“They are desperately short of 155mm artillery shells. And they have difficulties with air defense.
“If the enemy fires at you with his artillery (…) and you do not have enough shells to counter, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to remain in a defensive position. You’re probably going to have to move,” continues Ann Dailey, adding that this happened when the Russians took Avdiivka in February.
As for air defense, the difficulties force Ukraine “to make untenable decisions, either to maintain and protect the front line to avoid a Russian advance, or to protect civilians and industries.”
The additional aid will allow the United States to keep its repeated promise to support Ukraine “as long as it takes,” and American officials, starting with Joe Biden, assure that it will also benefit the industry American.
The president reiterated his support for aid to Ukraine in the columns of the Wall Street Journal, ensuring that adopting the law would make it possible to invest “in American industry, by purchasing American products manufactured by American workers, and supporting jobs in nearly 40 states and strengthening our national security.”
This aid also makes it possible to weaken Russia, — considered by the United States as a “serious threat” — “without endangering American soldiers and at a much lower cost than if American forces were engaged”, estimates Mark Cancian.
Kremlin reaction
The United States aid voted on Saturday “will kill even more Ukrainians because of the Kyiv regime,” denounced the Kremlin after the vote.
“The decision to provide aid to Ukraine was expected and predictable. It will further enrich the United States of America and ruin Ukraine even more, killing even more Ukrainians because of the Kyiv regime,” assured the spokesperson for the Russian presidency, Dmitri Peskov, quoted by the state news agency TASS.
European Union reaction
The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, welcomed on Saturday the approval by the American House of Representatives of an aid program for Ukraine for its war effort against Russia.
“I welcome the vote by the US House of Representatives approving the crucial – long overdue – $60 billion in aid to Ukraine. This sends a clear message to the Kremlin: those who believe in freedom and the United Nations Charter will continue to support Ukraine and its people,” Charles Michel said on X.
