By Olawale Abaire, Warrior Editorial Fellow
The U.S. administration is on the brink of dispatching essential military resources to Ukraine following the approval of a supplementary budget bill by the House of Representatives, as stated by Pentagon Press Secretary and Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder. The bill awaits the Senate’s endorsement and President Joe Biden’s final signature.
Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder and Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III highlighted the resolve of the U.S. and its allies in standing against aggression and maintaining global security as Maj. Gen. Ryder stated;
“We will continue to explore options to ensure that we can continue to conduct the kinds of counterterrorism advising, assisting and operations that we need to”.
Maj. Gen. Ryder further emphasized that this move contradicts Russian President Vladimir Putin’s assumption that the coalition supporting Ukraine would disintegrate. The Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, will preside over the 21st meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. Ryder notes that the international community’s support for Ukraine has only grown stronger over time, contrary to Russia’s expectations.
The group, comprising 50 nations, has remained steadfast in its opposition to Putin’s invasion. Ryder highlights the expansion of the NATO alliance for collective defense, underlining the global consensus that Ukraine’s security is important to the security of all nations.
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The U.S. House of Representatives has approved nearly $61bn in military aid for Ukraine. This aid will equip Ukraine with the necessary missiles and shells to halt the advancement of Russian forces. The aid package, which includes at least $8bn to replenish Ukraine’s missile and ammunition supplies, will soon be presented to the Senate for approval. Between February 2022 and January 2024, the U.S. provided Ukraine with $45.6bn in military aid.
However, Ukraine’s military is grappling with a shortage of munitions and dwindling morale. A critical deficiency is air defense missiles. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed the need for additional Patriots or similar air defense systems to safeguard its cities. Western countries have supplied Ukraine with defensive weapons, including thousands of Javelin and Nlaw anti-tank missiles from the U.S. and UK, to counter Russia’s armored brigades.
To neutralize Russian air superiority, Western nations, who are also US allies, have provided Ukraine with several types of air defense systems, ranging from the UK’s short-range anti-aircraft weapon, Starstreak, to the Patriot missile system. After Russia’s retreat from Kyiv, the war shifted to the east of the country, where artillery and missiles were heavily utilized. Western nations, including Australia, Canada, and the U.S., dispatched M777 howitzers and ammunition to Ukraine. The U.S. and UK also supplied long-range missile systems, including Himars and the M270 MLRS. In early 2023, Western nations agreed to send tanks to Ukraine, hoping they would enable Ukraine to breach Russian defensive lines. The UK provided the Challenger 2, the U.S. sent 31 Abrams tanks, and European nations dispatched several German-made Leopard 2 tanks.
However, despite these new armaments, Ukraine has been unable to make a significant breakthrough. This in-depth analysis underscores the complexities of the ongoing conflict and the critical role of international support in Ukraine’s defense efforts.
OLAWALE ABAIRE is a Warrior researcher, writer and analyst who has written many published nonfiction books
