New US aid to enable Ukraine to gradually push back Russians, Senator says
Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee Senator Jack Reed (Photo: flickr.com)
Additional American funding for Ukrainian troops will not lead to a breakthrough on the battlefield, but it will allow for a gradual pushing back of the Russians, according to Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee Senator Jack Reed.
According to him, if US lawmakers approve additional aid for Ukraine, the Armed Forces of Ukraine will gradually push back the Russians by the end of the year. A breakthrough is not expected.
The committee chair also suggested that with additional assistance from the US, the Ukrainian army could launch an offensive next year.
"...then next year, 2025, has to be again, another offensive operation, which hopefully gets them to the point where they really fully cover Crimea with fires," Reed said.
He believes that this will significantly complicate the situation for the Russians and force them to sit down for negotiations.
Approval of aid is necessary
The senator also called on US lawmakers to approve additional funding for Ukraine.
"We have to get this done. And if we have to resort to sort of calling something, something else, well, we might have to do that," the senator added.
According to him, the Russians are currently able to exert pressure on the Ukrainian army and have shifted to a more familiar type of warfare. This includes fixed positions, bunkers, and dense minefields.
US assistance to Ukraine
The US Congress has been unable to approve new funding for assistance to Ukraine for several months, including arms supplies. This situation is due to disagreements between Republicans and Democrats over border security issues included in the assistance package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.
Recently, the Senate passed a separate bill with funds for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. However, for it to take effect, the document must be approved by the House of Representatives and signed by the president.
According to White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, the assistance to the Ukrainian military will last for several weeks.
Speaker of the US House of Representatives Mike Johnson stated that the House of Representatives will unblock the bill on assistance to Ukraine. However, the document will significantly differ from the $95 billion foreign assistance package passed by the Senate last month.
