The Department of Defense has unveiled two billion-dollar military aid packages for Ukraine, both short-term deliveries and long-term supplies. However, it is uncertain how these shipments will impact the battlefield or what success in Ukraine looks like to President Joe Biden’s administration – whether total victory against Russia or just enough time to persuade Moscow to negotiate peaceably. The lack of clarity regarding end goals has led some House Republicans to criticize the delay in passing Biden’s supplemental request for several months, stating that they cannot identify a single individual who can articulate what objective is being met by injecting this money into Ukraine.
The United States had been unable to provide military aid to Ukraine since early 2024 due to restrictions imposed earlier on the administration of former President Donald Trump. As a result, Ukrainian troops were compelled to conserve ammunition as low morale among their forces continued during continuous bombardment by Russian air defenses that left civilians in perilous situations.
According to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and other Pentagon officials at Friday’s press conference, the U.S.’ primary objective is for Ukraine to become a self-reliant country capable of defending itself against future aggression from Russia or any potential adversary. Gen Charles Q Brown Jr., chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, further explained that while it remains unclear whether Ukraine can win this war outright, the U.S.’ main goal is to ensure Ukrainian forces have sufficient security assistance in order for them to defend themselves against Russian aggression without triggering a broader conflict.
The Pentagon announced two military aid packages worth $1 billion and $6 billion respectively on Wednesday – one intended as an immediate delivery of weapons, while the other will be used by U.S defense contractors who have been awarded contracts for manufacturing arms to supply Ukraine’s forces in future battles against Russia. The first package is expected to expedite military aid shipments to Ukrainian troops, which has become a pressing need due to the delay caused during legislative debates regarding Biden’s supplemental request earlier this year.
During Friday’s meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group – attended by defense leaders from approximately 50 countries who meet monthly to discuss Ukraine’s military needs in detail, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan highlighted that due to a six-month delay before Congress passed Biden’s supplemental request earlier this year, Ukrainian forces have been forced to ration ammunition. This has resulted in the loss of some territory – including Avdiivka city – and continued severe pressure on battlefields from Russian troops. Sullivan also warned that if no decisive action is taken now against Moscow’s invasion tactics then “the fact [is] that it’s going to take some time for us to dig out of the hole that was created by six months of delay before Congress passed the supplemental.”
The recent passage of Biden’s national security package has received overwhelming support from key Republican leaders in both chambers. Many GOP defense hawks back Ukraine and have urged Biden to take further steps towards Ukrainian success on battlefields against Russian troops. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) asserted that “Ukraine can absolutely win this war” while also stating that the U.S., along with its allies, must put Ukraine in a position of strength either by precipitating a Russian collapse or negotiating favorable terms for victory against Moscow from an advantageous standpoint. McCaul further added: “Make no mistake – Putin’s entire theory of victory is based on his belief that he can outlast Western support for Ukraine.”
During the press conference, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin affirmed the U.S.’ commitment to providing long-range missiles known as Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to Ukrainian troops in a bid to further strengthen their capabilities against Russian forces on battlefields across eastern Europe. The Pentagon confirmed that it had supplied ATACMS weapons systems worth $350 million to Ukraine last month, while additional shipments have been announced as part of the new military aid package for short-term deliveries.
Austin also warned that a potential Russian victory in this conflict would lead to “grave and global” security consequences, although he did not elaborate further on what these might be or how they could impact international relations between Russia and other countries around the world.
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