During an unexpected visit to Kyiv on Monday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin vowed to keep money and weaponry coming to Ukraine even as resources are stretched by the new and global challenges posed by the Israel-Hamas war.
Mr. Austin, who arrived in Kyiv by rail from Poland, met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and planned to meet with Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Chief of Staff Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
Mr. Austin stated in Kyiv that the US will continue to help Ukraine "for the long haul," adding that pushing out the Russian invaders "matters to the rest of the world."
Mr. Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to Mr. Austin for this "very important signal for Ukraine."
“We count on your support,” Mr. Zelenskyy said, thanking Congress as well as the American people for their backing.
Mr. Austin's first trip to Ukraine was in April 2022, just two months after the conflict began. The Russian invasion provoked worldwide indignation, and global support for Ukraine was strong, with Mr. Austin establishing an international partnership of some 50 nations that met on a regular basis to arrange what weaponry, training, and other assistance might be sent to Kyiv.
The current Gaza crisis, on the other hand, has threatened to divert attention and resources away from the Ukrainian conflict. The US military has sent two carrier strike groups, scores of fighter jets, and thousands of troops to the Middle East, where it has had to shift its force posture and conduct airstrikes against Iranian-backed militant groups that are now regularly attacking US bases in Iraq and Syria.
Without including humanitarian aid, Ukraine has received more than $44 billion in military supplies from the US and more than $35 billion from other allies, ranging from bullets to air defense systems, advanced European and American battle tanks, military training, and, finally, pledges for F-16 fighter jets.
Despite the equipment sent to Ukraine, 20 months of conflict have resulted in a huge number of losses but relatively little strategic progress for Ukraine, dampening the original worldwide excitement for the country's battle against Russia.
Some European nations, such as Poland, have reduced their funding, claiming the necessity to secure national security and a strong defensive barrier along their border with Russia and Belarus.
Ukrainian leaders have categorically denied that their country is at war with Russia, despite the fact that their long-awaited counteroffensive this summer failed to yield the desired results.
Andriy Yermak, the chief of President Zelenskyy's administration, announced in a visit to Washington last week that Ukrainian forces had finally pushed through to the east bank of the Dnieper River, a front line between Ukrainian and Russian forces that had been essentially immovable for months. The specifics of the breakthroughs were not revealed.
As winter approaches, the terrain will make it more difficult for either side to advance. Experts in military intelligence think Russia would launch missiles targeting Ukraine's infrastructure, such as the power system, making air defenses crucial.
According to Fred Kagan, a senior resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, thinking there is time to wait is a mistake.
“If we stop providing aid to Ukraine, it’s not that the stalemate continues. The aid is actually essential to preventing the Russians from beginning to maneuver again in ways that can allow them to defeat Ukraine,” Mr. Kagan said. “So the cost of cutting off aid is that Russia wins and Ukraine loses and NATO loses.”
However, gaining further financing for Ukrainian forces may be tough given that the Pentagon has already spent the most of its 2023 allocation.
Officials have urged Congress to contribute extra funds, but a rising number of Senate Republicans are resistant to provide additional help to Ukraine unless greater financing for border control and tighter immigration policies is provided first.
Last week, a stopgap budget package passed to avert a government shutdown during the Christmas did not include any funding for Ukraine.
