The Ukrainian war, facing one of its most fragile periods, is already showing positive signs. After the US House of Representatives approved on Saturday a bill to support Ukraine's military aid budget, which has been stalled for months.
Approval of the draft support budget for Ukraine will open the way for the United States to be able to send weapons and equipment, especially artillery ammunition and air defense weapons, which Ukraine has been in dire need of since the beginning of 2024, which has put Russia at a disadvantage on the battlefield and has begun to lose ground in the Donetsk region. in the East.
Civilian buildings and energy infrastructure have been subjected to intense Russian air strikes.
However, the first wave of military aid will not reach Ukrainian soldiers on the front. Even the US Senate will vote to approve the bill that just passed the House of Representatives. He sent it to President Joe Biden for his signature.
Yesterday, April 21, during the daily evening press conference. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on the US Senate to accelerate consideration and vote on a nearly $61 billion military aid bill for Ukraine.
She said that the time between waiting for the decision to approve the aid package and whether the weapons will reach the hands of Ukrainian soldiers on the front line should be reduced to a minimum.
The petition to the US Senate occurred after the US House of Representatives' successful vote on a bill on military aid to Ukraine on Saturday
This number is stuck in the US Congress. It has been more than six months since it was opposed by right-wing conservative Republicans who support Trump, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, who has the power to clear bills in the House.
Before the Speaker of the House of Representatives was persuaded and pressured by the White House and its allied countries. Until he changed his position and decided to divide the draft law on the additional security assistance budget that will be granted to allied countries around the world into 4 drafts and vote on them separately. To reduce the possibility of the draft being rejected.
However, the draft law on Ukrainian military aid did not enter into force immediately after its approval by the House of Representatives. Because it must first be considered and voted on by the Senate.
By the US Senate The session will be opened after recess on Tuesday, April 23, or tomorrow, US local time. Before sending the draft to the White House for President Biden's signature. By the American leader, he mentioned this previously and will sign the bill into law as soon as he reaches the White House. To meet urgent needs on the Ukrainian front.
But the political process has not yet ended well. This prompted President Zelensky to submit a request to the US Senate. Accelerate the approval of assistance to make various weapons and send them to the front line as soon as possible. It is feared that the Russian army will launch a major attack before the weapons are deployed. It will be delivered to Ukraine
With the exception of cannon bullets, President Zelensky also revealed in an interview with the American TV station NBC's Meet The Press program that Ukraine's top priority is a highly capable air defense system. Such as the Patriot system, American companies produce long-range missiles such as the Army Tactical Missile or ATACMS, a missile with a maximum range of 300 kilometers.
Because it should be used to protect soldiers on the front lines. This is considered to be disadvantageous to the Russian army, which is able to maintain superiority in airspace and prevent Russian air strikes from targeting cities throughout Ukraine.
As for the first wave of military aid package from the United States. It will be allocated to Ukraine What is expected to be sent to Ukraine? Ukraine urgently needs 155 mm artillery shells and air defense weapons such as missiles used to intercept air attacks.
This is what officials said, the US Department of Defense sent a signal last Thursday that the Pentagon is already preparing to allocate weapons to Ukraine in the first wave.
Some weapons stored in European warehouses could be delivered to Ukrainian soldiers on the front within days. After President Biden signed a bill supporting Ukraine into law, expect these processes to take about a week. Or about two weeks before the Ukrainian soldiers receive different weapons
After the US House of Representatives successfully paid the draft aid budget to Ukraine. Ukrainian soldiers stationed on the front expressed their joy.
However, many people in the same vein have stated that Ukraine may lose less space to the Russian army. If the assistance had been approved sooner
A Ukrainian soldier with the nickname “Sailor” stationed in the city of Kubyansk in the Kharkiv region said that if Ukrainian soldiers obtain weapons, they will be able to switch to the attacking side.
The next question is whether the Ukrainian military aid bill will be able to change the situation on the front. Especially on the Eastern Front, where Russia is constantly trying to attack and advance, to what extent will this lead to the liberation of Ukrainian territories under Russian occupation?
Before the US House of Representatives, this will be possible through military assistance. Military equipment shortages have been occurring over the past few months and have had a clear impact on the situation on the front lines.
Katerina Stefanenko, an analyst at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), told Reuters news agency that the artillery shells were not enough to repel Russian counterfire. This is the main reason why Ukraine lost its territory to Russia.
From October 2023 or after the end of the anti-Ukrainian operation. Ukraine lost approximately 583 square kilometers to Russian forces.
One of them was the loss of control of the city of Avdiivka in the Donetsk region. Meanwhile, the Russian army is now trying to open a front at several points east. To find weak points in the defense of Ukraine.
Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War added that this situation also gives Russia time to prepare for a major attack expected in late spring or early summer.
However, Ben Hodges, former commander of the US Army in Europe, commented to the Guardian News Agency that although Ukrainian soldiers have received weapons and artillery ammunition from the new wave of US aid, it is expected to take several more weeks to see tangible results on the battlefield. .
Many military experts also provided the same analysis. The US aid budget this year will not change the rules of the game. This could change the situation on the front or be a turning point in this year's war.
James Waterhouse, BBC correspondent in Ukraine, commented: What support from the United States might be to help defend the cities of the eastern region, which are considered important strategic defense points such as Kramatorsk, Kostyantinivka and others.
This is in line with the analysis of Matthew Saville, a researcher at the Royal United Services Institute, a security think tank, that US aid will only help by stabilizing the situation on the Ukrainian side of the front. It will help prepare for operations in 2025.
The passage of the military aid bill to Ukraine is a signal that the United States will continue to support Ukraine's war against Russia. Just as European allies have always maintained that they will not abandon Ukraine, this move has prompted Russia to retaliate and threaten the West once again.
Sergei Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister has come out to accuse the United States, the United Kingdom and France, stating that Western support for Ukraine, which has tried to force Russia to suffer a strategic defeat, creates the risk of confrontation and could lead to nuclear war.
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