A top Ukrainian official casted doubt Tuesday on the Biden administration’s ability to quickly deliver crucial weapons aid as the country seeks to shift the momentum in its war against Russia.
The Pentagon is sketching up plans on what military equipment to deliver to Kyiv, as President Joe Biden is expected to quickly sign a bipartisan bill for an additional $60 billion to bolster Ukraine’s defenses and replenish U.S. weapons stockpiles. Kyiv is hoping the aid will be delivered post-haste, as Russia’s military holds a growing advantage over Ukraine and continues to make territorial advances in Eastern Europe. (RELATED: NBC Host Presses Zelenskyy On Timeline Of Ukraine War After House Passes More Funding)
“Is this equipment available? Will we find, and produce enough equipment quickly enough to get it?,” Ukraine’s Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova told European Pravda on Tuesday. “There are programs under which we can get this equipment, buy it, or receive it from depots… How quickly do we find it, check it, and restore it to a condition in which the American military can deliver it?”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy (C) with Ukrainian Ambassador to the US Oksana Markarova (C R), departs for the US Senate after a meeting with members of the House of Representatives at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, in September 21, 2023. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
The U.S. has warned for months that its weapons stockpiles for Ukraine are depleted, according to The New York Times. Among the equipment the Pentagon is sending to Kyiv are tactical vehicles, armored personnel transports, missiles, and artillery and mortar rounds.
It could take time to replenish these stockpiles and resume a level of weapons production that meets the needs of Ukraine’s demands, the NYT reported. The bill will, at the very least, solve the funding issue, Markarova said.
“But does this mean that equipment for all U.S. $23 billion (of the $60 billion that can be transferred to Ukraine through executive authority) is ready for delivery? Unfortunately, no,” Markarova said. “So we are looking for it as quickly as possible.”
Even if the aid is delivered in a timely fashion, defense experts and former U.S. officials previously told the Daily Caller News Foundation it is unlikely to push Ukraine toward a military victory against Russia, all though it could help the country temporarily maintain a defensive position on the frontlines. Even with additional armaments, Ukraine suffers from a lack of manpower, which has forced it to retreat from positions in Eastern Europe.
TOPSHOT – Gunners from 43rd Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine fire at Russian position with a 155 mm self-propelled howitzer 2C22 “Bohdana”, in the Kharkiv region, on April 21, 2024, amid the Russian invasion in Ukraine. (Photo by ANATOLII STEPANOV/AFP via Getty Images)
Russia has also taken major blows, spending hundreds of billions and losing scores of troops only to make small territorial gains, but its military-industrial complex is back at full production and Moscow is willing to conscript as many troops as needed to keep the war effort going.
“I think there’s not enough money available, either in this bill or in a much larger one, to help Ukraine achieve their goals of retaking all their territory or even go on offense in a sustained way,” Benjamin Friedman, policy director at Defense Priorities, previously told the DCNF. “So in a sense, moving forward is beyond their grasp, even if we give them a lot more weapons.”
The White House and Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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