Ukrainians have learned that, in war, things rarely go according to plan. So, in addition to the feelings of gratitude and relief following the US Congress' vote on military aid to Ukraine on Saturday, April 20, there are many unanswered questions about the future of the conflict.
The American support will "save thousands and thousands of lives," said Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, who felt that the bill "keeps history on the right track." He added that the package is "a very significant one. Our warriors on the front lines, as well as our cities and villages suffering from Russian terror, will feel it." This support, he said, would "bring a just end to this war closer, the war that Putin must lose."
Washington's $60.8 billion aid package will enable the Ukrainian armed forces to reinforce both the thousand kilometers along the front lines and anti-aircraft defense in the cities. In recent weeks, in the face of a stalemate in the US Congress, Kyiv's rhetoric has become increasingly catastrophic. The idea of a military collapse was no longer taboo. "If Congress doesn't help Ukraine, Ukraine will lose the war," warned Zelensky on April 7.
Lack of ammunition
Ukrainians are having trouble grasping the reality of the military situation and the concrete effects that this new American aid will have. For months now, there have been daily reports from soldiers claiming they are out of ammunition in the face of Russian firepower. However, it's also true that despite its military superiority, Moscow has hardly made any significant advances.
The Russian army's initial objective was to conquer Ukraine in a matter of days, overthrow the government and neutralize its armed forces. However, after crushing defeats in 2022, it has mainly only managed to conquer two towns in Donbas – Bakhmut and Avdiivka – over 18 months of stabilizing the front lines. The Russian offensive continues on these two fronts and currently threatens the city of Chasiv Yar, west of Bakhmut.
Ukraine's commander-in-chief, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, recently spoke of a "significantly" deteriorated situation on the eastern front. Meanwhile, President Zelensky, in an interview with NBC after the vote in the House of Representatives, acknowledged that Ukraine had lost the initiative. He expressed hope that the new US aid should make it possible to "stabilize the situation" and "overtake the initiative."
For the Ukrainians, these difficulties on the front lines means, above all, suffering for soldiers. On the other hand, it's hard to imagine the Russian army, which has only advanced meter by meter for months near Chasiv Yar, as a serious threat for a general invasion.
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